


The Only One

by DesolationPoint



Series: The Only One [1]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Attempted Murder, Bed-Wetting, Depression, Eventual Romance, Eventual Sex, F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi, Murder, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Character Death, Past Child Abuse, Past Rape/Non-con, Slow Burn, Starvation, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, Togami Byakuya Being An Asshole
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-21
Updated: 2019-08-12
Packaged: 2020-03-09 06:54:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 41,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18911812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DesolationPoint/pseuds/DesolationPoint
Summary: "Calm down everyone..." The lavender-haired girl finally spoke. She seemed to be the only calm one here, and it made Naegi feel like everything was going to be okay. Only to have all that relief washed away with her next few words.AKA-Naegi ends up falling head over heels for the reserved detective while the rest of his friends are slaughtering each other.(On a brief Hiatus)





	1. Chapter I: The Ultimates

**Author's Note:**

> There will be sex later in the story. No, it doesn't take up a lot of this story, in fact, it's kept to a minimum. (If I decide to change that, then I will inform you.) I just wanted that to be put out there right now. If you don't like that, then please kindly leave.  
> This story will be deep. There will be crying, happy moments, anger, and overall adult situations. Mentions of Rape, past rape, murder (this is a Danganronpa story after all,) major character death, Togami being an asshole, daddy issues, past child abuse, and many other things.  
> This is the only chapter that heavily takes from the game since the prologue, in my opinion, doesn't need to change much. Also, while most of the story follows Naegi, I will follow the other characters as well. For example, in the next chapter, it will follow Naegi in the beginning, but I may put something from Asahina or Kyouko's perspective.
> 
> One last thing (since a lot of people have asked me about this.) I originally played the fandub of the first game since we never thought it would be released in the West. (I never have played the released version of the first game.) That's why you'll see names with the 'u' or an extra 'o' added in like Touko, Kyouko, Oowada, or Oogami. You'll also see me switch in between them; although, I never mean too. So if you see me write Kyouko but then, later on, write Kyoko, it's literally the same thing. I will try and fix this when I see it, but honestly, at this point, I barely notice it.
> 
> I am open to any and all constructive criticism. As long as you're not being a dick, then I'll happily take any criticism you throw my way!
> 
> You have been warned! If any of what I mentioned above bothers you, then do not keep reading this story!

**{Chapter I: The Ultimates}**

Naegi woke up bewildered, disoriented, and with a constant feeling that he was forgetting something important. As he lifted his head, ignoring the small pool of drool that ran down his chin, he let his surroundings come into focus, surroundings he didn't recognize. The more he looked around, the more confused and worried he got. Not only was there a security camera pointed directly at him, but the windows, or what he assumed were windows, were bolted over with large, thick, solid metal plates. Even the bolts themselves were unnaturally large. He tried to twist one off, but they wouldn't even budge.  _At least it's secure..._ He glanced at the clock and noticed that it was just after eight. Panic blossomed in his chest, he was supposed to meet with the other students for the welcome ceremony at eight, and now he was going to be late!

"What a way to start my first day," he mumbled.

He left the classroom with a sigh, not taking in any of his surroundings as he passed by. There wasn't any time, he had to make that meeting at 8:00!

He burst into the entry hall and was met with the curious gazes of fourteen students. They gave him a variety of looks, but most of them were welcoming and inquisitive.

Naegi did a swift a once over of all the teens, trying to see who he could recognize from what he read on the online forums. He halted as his eyes settled on one student in particular, though. She was tall, taller than him at least, and had long lavender hair. She stood away from the other students, but she was still in a good enough position to keep an eye on everyone. Her gaze was calm but firm, yet the intensity caused him to look anywhere  _but_  her. It was like she  _knew_  everything about him with one simple glance.

"...Hey. I'm M-Makoto Naegi," he greeted, trying (and failing) to not sound awkward. "Sorry I'm late, I must have dozed off."

"You too, huh?" A boy with erratic looking, brown, hair exclaimed.  _You too? Did the same thing happen to them?_

"We all woke up like that." The girl, he recognized as Celestia Ludenberg, said.  _Really?_

"All of you?" he asked,

"Did you not understand the first time?" The blonde male sent him a disgusted glare.

"I-I-"

"You d-don't have to be so harsh," a timid looking girl spoke. Naegi doubted the blonde heard her remark, but if he did, he didn't bother answering her.  _He's going to be one of those people, isn't he?_

Naegi was going to answer her, but a loud bell chimed and the monitor on the wall crackled to life.

 _ **"Ahem, testing, testing, This is a test of the school broadcast system! Can everyone hear me? Yes? Good,"**_  an overly cheery voice came through the speakers, it was so confident and whimsical that something was definitely wrong with it.  _ **"Ahh, to all incoming students! I would like to begin the entrance ceremony right now! So if you could all make your way to the gymnasium at your earliest convenience, no dawdling, we wouldn't want to keep everyone waiting!"**_

And just like that, the monitor cut off, leaving the students to look at each other with utter confusion.

"...What just happened?" Junko uttered.

"I'm out of here..." The blonde haired male huffed, then turned away from everyone.  _Yeah, he's definitely going to cause trouble..._

He was soon followed by Hagakure, Fujisaki, Leon, and the timid girl with glasses. All of them were leaving with the same terrifying mood. Celest and Junko were next to leave; however, they didn't seem to have any sort of emotions. Naegi glanced at those who remained before he left for the gym. The biker, Mondo, and the loud boy, who had scolded him for being late, with red eyes eyed each other nervously. The large (as in fat) boy waddled out of the room, while the blue-haired girl swiftly followed after him.

"Hey, Naegi right?"  _Huh?_ A girl wearing a red jacket approached him. He was sure he read about her and her talent on the forum, but he couldn't remember who she was.

"Yeah, uhh..."

"Asahina! Aoi Asahina, but all my friends call me Hina!"  _Friends? Already?_  "Do you have any idea what's going on?"

While it did put his mind at ease knowing that at least  _one_  person was going to be kind to him, it didn't stop the nervousness from this strange situation. The fact that they all passed out once they entered the school was too strange to ignore.

"No, but maybe this is some strange test?" The girl shrugged.

"It could be, I guess," she sighed. "Do you want to walk with me?"

"Oh, uhh..." He hadn't been expecting that. "Yeah, if you don't mind."

On their way out, Naegi noticed the girl from earlier staring at him. Her eyes were narrowed and her lips were pressed into a frown. Looking into this girl's eyes was like looking up a mountain, a  _tall_  mountain.  _Is she waiting for us?_  He would have asked her, but Asahina was already pulling him out the door.

* * *

Upon entering the large, and surprisingly empty, room Naegi Noticed that it was set up, as he expected, to be for a welcoming ceremony, and, for some reason, that made the whole situation even more unsettling. Everything had looked normal. Well, besides the thick metal plates bolted to the windows, that part was certainly strange. Deciding to let future Naegi worry about it, he went to join the others. The room, while quiet, was heavy with anxiety, growing more so as the last few students arrived.

_**"Hey, have we got everyone?! Yes? Good. Then let's get this party started!"** _

"W-what?"

Naegi didn't know what he was expecting. The principal, maybe, but he was sure that no one expected a black and white teddy bear to start talking.

"Huh?" Chihiro moved beside Naegi and Asahina. "A-a teddy bear?"

The little bear snickered, placing his paws in front of his odd muzzle.

_**"I'm not a teddy bear! I, am Monokuma; this school's headmaster!"** _

Never in his life had Naegi been so focused on something before. In any other situation, Naegi probably would have laughed alongside some of his classmates. Part of the toy was cute, which did comfort him a little, but this bear had some sort of bad aura around it.

**_"It's nice to meetcha!"_ **

Its movements were so lighthearted and fluid... It was like it was from another world entirely. Naegi, despite being a little creeped out, he was fascinated by the bear. However, his fascination turned into pure terror as the people around him started to panic.

"Ngaaaaaaaah! The teddy bear, it speaks!"

"Wh-what's happening dudes?!"

"Relax!" The guy with the red eyes and white suit shouted, probably in an attempt to calm the situation, but the fear in his gaze only seemed to make things worse. "There's just a speaker inside, that's all!"

 _ **"Weren't you listening?!"**_  As if it were alive, the bears face turned red with anger.  _ **"I am NOT a teddy bear. I am Monokuma! I'm**_ **also** _ **your headmaster!"**_  he roared, causing Naegi (along with Chihiro) to take a step back.

"Ngaaaaaaah! It's moving!"

The terror in the fat guy's voice made Naegi want to run, but he forced himself to stay put. He didn't want to find out what would happen if he fled.

"C'mon man!" The biker sent the large man an exasperated glare. "Calm the hell down! You're scaring everyone! Besides, it must have a clicker (sorry if you say remote. I have never called it a remote and I don't plan on doing it.) or something..."

 _ **"Oh! Your words cut me deep, deeper than the Mariana Trench!"**_  He let out a little moan.  ** _"I'm not some children's toy! I am your lovable, caring, headmaster!"_**

He didn't know why, but Naegi felt like something bad was coming. For all he knew, this was just some sort of horrible prank by the higher-ups in an attempt to scare or punish them. There was just something in his tone that made him uncomfortable.

 _ **"Let's begin with discussing**_ **your** _ **new lives. Ahem, yes.**_ **You guys** _ **are certainly a...special group."**_   _Oh no..._

Hope's Peak Academy wasn't your usual school, no, that would be too easy. Only the best of the best were allowed to attend, you had to have  _talent_. You weren't even  _considered_  a contender unless you were special. They even had some guy scout you out. Which is why Naegi was shocked when he received his letter.

Komaru, his little sister, had made him sign up for the lottery draw. Only a single person, out of millions, got accepted. Which confused him since he was known for his bad luck. He thought it had been a joke, but he was put on a plane and shipped there within the week.

And calling Hope's Peak a  _school_ would be wrong. It was more of a place where the talented were cultivated and kept out of reach of the public's prying hands. Yeah, you learned how to harness and use your talent, but calling this place a school was a bit of a stretch.

 _ **"You will all live a mutual life together solely within the confines of this school. Everyone here will live in peace and harmony together, and adhere to the rules and regulations of this school,"**_ Monokuma said, his cheery voice never once wavering,  _ **"Now then, regarding the end date for this mutual life… There isn't one! In other words, you'll all be here until the day you die! Such is the school life you've been assigned."** H-he's has to be lying!_

"What the hell? You can't be for real? There's no way I'm living here forever!" Enoshima screeched.

 _ **"Oh, I can guarantee you that I am 100% 'for real', and just so you know, you have been completely cut off from the outside world! So you don't have to worry about that dirty, dirty world beyond these walls ever again,"**_ he cackled.

While it was true that most of the world's population didn't have any talent, and that caused a lot of them to treat the ones who did poorly, but it would be a stretch to say that the entire world was like that.

"Cut off?" Naegi repeated. He couldn't believe what this bear, Monokuma, was saying. There was no way he could, "You mean, that's what all those metal plates are for? To keep us trapped here?"

 _ **"Bingo!"**_  The bear's red eye glowed as he continued. " _ **No matter how much may bark or scream for help, it will not come. So with that in mind, feel free to live out your life here with whatever style you please!"**_

"Y-you mean we're going to be here f-forever?" Chihiro cried.

_**"Yup, yup! But don't go worrying your little heads off. We at Hope's Peak have plenty of moolah, so you'll be nice and comfy"** _

Monokuma's voice held so much conviction. That last little bit, with whatever meaning, had made the girl release her grip on Naegi's arm. He would have thought it was a jibe at her, but the bear had also looked at him when he said it.  _What does that mean?_

"Cut the shit! It isn't funny anymore!" Oowada snarled.

"Even if this  **is**  a joke, I'm pretty sure it's crossed the line a hell of a long time ago!" Kuwata shouted.

 _ **"Oh? You don't believe me? How sad..."**_  He placed his paws behind his back with a sigh.  _ **"Oh well, I guess that's to be expected. Soon you'll see that bears don't tell lies."**_

"That...isn't the problem."

"I have to agree with Sayaka," Celeste added, "Living here forever would be quite...problematic."

 _ **"What's the matter with you?"**_  he grumbled.  _ **"It was your own free will to attend the academy. Except for poor Makoto here, how**_ **unlucky _can a guy be? But that's beside the point. Since I'm such a caring headmaster, I'll let you guys in on a little secret. There is only one way to leave this school."_**

"T-there is?" Fukawa stammered. The bear nodded.

 _**"As your headmaster, I put in a special system for anyone who wishes to leave. And I call it** _ **Graduation _! Now, as I said,_ you guys  _are responsible for maintaining order here within the academy. But, should someone decide to disturb that order, they, and they alone, will be allowed to leave."_**

"What do you mean 'disturb that order'?" The blonde male snapped.

Then, suddenly, the bear started laughing. He couldn't contain it, Monokuma was laughing so hard that his entire body was shaking. Part of it made Naegi want to laugh along with him, but the reality of the situation was too hard to get over.

_**"Upupu... I'm talking about murder!"** _

"M-murder!?" Naegi spluttered. The bear nodded and moved into a better position on the podium.

_**"Stabbing, strangling, bludgeoning, crushing, hacking, hexing, slaughtering, drowning, burning, beating, how you do it doesn't matter. You must kill someone if you want to leave. It's as simple as that. The rest is up to you guys. Give it your all to achieve the best outcome in the worst way possible,"** _

The room suddenly felt significantly colder. A shiver ran along Naegi's spine, his blood turning cold at the thought of having to murder one of these people. The people he wanted to be his friends. He couldn't...wouldn't do that, and they wouldn't either! There was no way they would!

Naegi stood frozen in place as some other students continued to argue with Monokuma, he couldn't even hear what was being said anymore, it was all just a muffled gurgle in his ears. He was shocked back into the present when Oowada stormed up to the bear and grasped it tightly in his fist.

"Stop fucking with us! You fucking bastard, tell us what's going on!"

 _ **"**_ _ **Waah!** **Violence against the headmaster is in violation of school regulations!"**  _Monokuma shouted, arms waving frantically as Oowada help him in a death grip.

"Just shut the fuck up! You better tell what the fuck's going or I swear to Christ that I'll beat the shit outta you!" Oowada's threat trailed off as Monokuma stilled.

A high pitched beeping started to echo from the bear, gradually growing faster.

"Get rid of it now!"

"Wha...?"

Naegi watched as the lavender-haired girl addressed Oowada calmly, even as the beeping grew louder and faster.  _How can she be so relaxed?_

"Hurry up and throw it!" she commanded.

With a growl, Oowada chucked Monokuma to the far side of the gym, as it reached the apex of its arc it exploded, sending metal and stuffing around the room. It didn't hit anyone, though.

"That fucker! That was way too close!"

"W-wait, if the teddy bear just blew up, then d-does that mean he's dead?" Fujisaki asked.

As soon as she uttered those words, another Monokuma shot up in its place.

_**"Is this going to be a running gag? I told you already! My name is Monokuma, and I'm not a teddy bear!"** _

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me! There's another one?!" Kuwata hissed.

"You son of a bitch! You seriously tried to kill me!" Oowada growled.

 _**"Well, what did you expect? You broke one of the school rules, did you think I wouldn't punish you? I think I'll let you off this time, just this**_ **one** _**time. Bad children deserve to be punished, yes?"** _

"H-hey, does that mean there are more of you in this building? Like...a lot more of you?" Junko asked.

_**"Monokumas have been deployed all around the school, yeah. Now, don't forgetting about the surveillance cameras that are also installed everywhere. And if you're caught breaking any rules, well, you just saw what happened, right? Upupupu… And next time I won't be so forgiving with my punishment, so don't let it happen again!"** _

Everyone stared, wide-eyed, at the bear, how were they even supposed to respond to that?

 _ **"And now, I would like to give you all a gift!"**_ Monokuma said, handing out small tablets to each student,  _ **"This is our official student handbook! As you can see, it's fully digital. So naturally, we call them ElectroIDs! Think of it as your own, personal, student IDs! This handbook is absolutely vital to a healthy and happy school life, so don't go losing it! I mean it! You won't be getting another one if you** **do!"**_  He growled. " _ **When** **you start it up, it will display your name. Always make sure you have the right one! Now, this is not your everyday handbook. It has soooooo many more uses than that! Also, it's completely waterproof. Do whatever you want, splash it, wash it, drown it, and it'll keep on trucking! And thanks to its space-age design, it can withstand an impact force of up to ten tons. Very resistant, isn't it? It also contains all of our school regulations, so make sure you review them thoroughly! And as I keep saying, don't go breaking any school rules!"**_

No one could say anything as the bear made his speech. It was all too shocking!

 _**"Well, that about wraps things up. Do you guys think so? ...Well,** _ **I _certainly think so. I hope you enjoy your little lives here. I'll be seeing you again soon!"_**

And with that, he was gone. The rest of us just stood there, looking at the place where he just stood.

"Uhh..." It was Kuwata who decided to break the silence. "Does anyone...understand what the hell that thing was?"

"Who fucking knows!" Oowada yelled.

"Calm down everyone..." The lavender-haired girl finally spoke. She seemed to be the only calm one here, and it made Naegi feel like everything was going to be okay. "Right now we need to focus on what we've just been told." Only to have all that relief washed away with her next words. "Right now, we have two options. 1. We can spend the rest of our lives here, living together. Or-"

"We can  **kill someone**  and escape this place, yes?" Celeste finished.

"Is this a j-joke? It can't be!" Ishimaru exclaimed.

"Yeah, what the hell?" Junko added.

"That's not the problem," Togami interrupted in a cold tone. "The problem is whether anyone here took it seriously or not."

Those words left everyone speechless. What could they have said? Togami  _did_  have a point there, and it would be foolish to push it aside, but that's what scared Naegi. Anyone could have already decided to harm another student, that's what they had to do to escape...right? It's either that or live here forever.

"Does anyone know what we should do now?" Naegi asked.

"What about just waiting for the police to come?" Asahina spoke up, trying to sound calm and sensible. "Surely someone's noticed by now that we've gone missing."

"That may not be the case," Celeste said with a frown. "As far as we know, we may not even be in Japan anymore, and there is no guarantee that anyone is even searching for us, given that we have only been 'missing' for but a single day."

The group lowered their heads, forcing themselves to admit that she could be right. No one had said it before because it was almost unimaginable, but nevertheless, each student had that thought cross their minds.

 _How could this be happening? Or really, why is this happening?_ _And why did we pass out upon entering the school?_ It was all too confusing to comprehend. He felt like he was going to explode from fear. He wanted to  _do_  something, be he didn't know what he could do.

"For now, we should split up and search the area," Kirigiri's calm voice answered, again bringing everyone back to reality. "We won't get anywhere just standing around here, waiting for someone else to help us."

"That's right! We have far too many questions that need answers!" Ishimaru exclaimed, waving his arm out to point at everyone. "We'll need to find food and supplies as soon as possible! So, everyone, let's go and search for a way to escape!"

It was like a wave of confidence shot throughout the students. Almost everyone around Naegi had a large smile on their face.

"Hell yeah! Let's all start looking around!" Kuwata shouted. "Let's get this party started!"

"We should probably search in pairs, just in case something happens," Maizono suggested, smiling brightly to encourage everyone.

Naegi couldn't help but smile from their enthusiasm. It was so sudden and soothing that he could almost forget about Monokuma-

"I'll be going alone."  _H-huh?_ Turning to look at him, the Ultimate Affluent Progeny folded his arms and turned his head away from the now staring crowd.

"A-are you sure that's a good idea?" Naegi asked in an attempt to reason with him. He couldn't understand why he would turn them down, especially with the situation at hand. "D-don't you think we should work together? I-I mean if we want to get out of here-"

"Shut up, will you?" Togami harshly commanded.  _W-what did I d-do?!_ Togami whipped around to glare at the Ultimate (un)Lucky Student, the Togami Heir scoffed and said, "You don't actually expect me to go along with your little family outing, do you? Not when someone could be plotting to stab any one of us in the back at any time. Did you really think I would allow any of you near me?"

"B-But, you don't really think that—" Maizono tried to say before even she was interrupted.

"Quiet, peasant! You were about to say that no one among us would actually kill someone, am I right?"

"Uh..." Naegi felt bad for the girl. It had only been for a moment, but he hated being under Togami's harsh stare. "W-well, yeah. I-I mean, of-"

"You can't be so sure of that, nor are you. Look at how scared all of you got during that thing's announcement, or was that something else?" The heir shook his head with an irritated sigh. "Don't you understand? None of you can say for certain who you can truly trust or not. I'm simply acting in accordance with what I believe is best for me, and because of that, I have decided not to foolishly put my life into the hands of untrustworthy commoners such as yourselves."

He didn't even give anyone any time to react before he started to leave the gym. He didn't get far, though, when a figure moved in front of him and blocked his path.

"You're not going anywhere! Do you think you can talk to a girl like that? Hey, asshole! Are you listening-"

"Step aside, plankton."  _O-oh no!_

"What the hell is that supposed to mean!?" The gang leader towered over Togami, who seemed rather unfazed by the whole situation.

Togami smirked, pushing the frame of his glasses up, and said, "One insignificant little plankton drifting aimlessly in the deep vast ocean. Try as you might, but that is all you are and all you will ever be."

Times seemed to slow down as Naegi watched the interaction between them and as neither side backed down. He watched as Oowada's entire body trembled with rage.

"Oh, you piece of shit!" The Ultimate Bike Gang Leader roared as he reared back and prepared to strike. "Sounds like you want your teeth to be kicked in!"

Just before Oowada had a chance to strike Togami, Naegi threw himself between them. Seeing this, Oowada stopped the assault and instead scowled ferociously at the Ultimate Lucky student who stood in his way.

"S-stop it guys, please! Fighting isn't going to solve anything!" For a moment, a very brief moment, Naegi thought he had managed to calm the biker down. Unfortunately, Naegi soon discovered that his luck truly was as bad as he believed when Oowada turned towards him with the full force of his fierce, monstrous gaze.

"Aw, so we got ourselves a little sweet-talker!" The biker cracked his knuckles before taking a step towards Naegi. "What? Do _you_  think you're going to go bossing me around? Just who do  _you_ think you are, my teacher?! Huh? Do you ya punk!" He raised his fist towards him. "You think you're some kind of preacher?"

"N-no I-I..." Naegi tried to back away, but he couldn't go far with Togami standing behind him.

" **Then shut the fuck up!** "

Before Naegi even knew what had just happened, Oowada's powerful fist crashed directly into the side of his face, sending the small man flying across the room.

He couldn't feel it, not the punch anyway, nor did he feel the impact of the bleachers behind him. Naegi's whole face went numb as he collided hard onto the ground. For a moment, he had forgotten what type of people he was really dealing with.

These were  **Ultimate**  students. They didn't win the lottery like him. They had  _talent_ , while he had nothing but bad luck. Naegi's common sense meant nothing to a lot of these students, to them, he was but a child. An insignificant, untalented, child.

Even in those regards, he may have been lucky enough to not be killed by the blow. But Naegi didn't have the time, nor energy, to think about anything. Not when he was rapidly losing consciousness.

_Why...did I let Komaru talk me into this?_


	2. Chapter I: Naegi's Rotten but Graceful Luck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mukuro and Junko talk while Naegi's luck might be saving lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone wondering, this was supposed to be chapter three. No matter how much I wrote chapter two, I couldn't get it the way I wanted it. (I mean, I'm still not happy with this chapter, but I wanted something out before the 30th.) You didn't miss much, though. All that happened was: Naegi waking up after being punched, and he bonded a little with Sayaka. Towards the end of the chapter, it was in Sayaka's POV (it wasn't very long though,) and the last part was in Junko's POV. (Those last two POVs were mainly just set up for this chapter, so that's why this one might seem a bit awkward.)

**{Chapter I: Naegi's Rotten but Graceful Luck}**

**Rules and Regulations!**

**Rule #1:**  Students may reside only within the school. Leaving campus is an unacceptable use of time.

 **Rule #2:**  "Nighttime" is from 10:00 pm to 7:00 am. Some areas are off-limits at night, like the cafeteria, so please exercise caution!

 **Rule #3:**  Sleeping anywhere other than the dormitory will be seen as sleeping in class and you will be punished accordingly.

 **Rule #4:**  With minimal restrictions, you are free to explore Hope's Peak Academy at your discretion.

 **Rule #5:**  Violence against headmaster Monokuma is strictly prohibited, as is the destruction of surveillance cameras.

 **Rule #6:**  Anyone who kills a fellow student and becomes "blackened" will graduate, unless they are discovered.

 **Rule #7:**  Additional school regulations may be added if necessary.

Those were reasonable rules, at least, that's what Mukuro thought. Even the unspoken ones, which had yet to be implemented, were alright. She remembered when Junko had first mentioned them and, back then, Mukuro was excited to start. Yeah, Kamakura said it was pointless, but her little sister knew better than that.

But that was the problem.

She  _wanted_  to prove herself to her sister; there was no doubt about that. But over the course of the next few days, Mukuro started to feel a little...odd.

It started when everyone spread out into their own separate groups to investigate the school. The students were limited to only the first floor, and everyone became familiar with the layout of the floor rather quickly. She, at first, thought their small world would bring their spirits down, but they reacted the exact opposite. (Except for maybe their first day...) It made them feel safe and secure, so that was going to make things more difficult.

During this time, She observed Makoto being led around by Maizono as his 'assistant' (although, it was more like the other way around,) and take a golden decorative sword back to his room. She had overheard Yamada boasting about taking out the trash and how he would like to be known for it, probably for ulterior motives. She was there when Kuwata, Taka, and Oowada continued to test out the doors and windows, hoping to find a weakness. (Surprise, surprise! They didn't...)

At some point, to make herself seem less suspicious, she opted to spend some time with Celeste. Mukuro had to admit that her feelings of disgust for the gambler hadn't really changed after so long. Sakura and Hina joined them later in the evening. Those two spent  _a lot_  of their free time together and, for a moment, she thought they had regained their memories. It didn't take long to realize, though, that it was just their emotions. Still, she decided that it would be best to keep an eye on them.

Hiro was the only one that both pissed her off and kept her entertained at the same time. This bastard kept joking and pretending that this was some big elaborate prank, and to students like Makoto and Chihiro, that was comforting. The despair he would feel when he comes to the realization would only hold Junko over for so long.

'Junko' tried to talk to Kyouko, but the detective brushed her off. The same went for Togami; however, 'Junko' didn't want to spend more time than she needed to with him.

Overall, her experience wasn't completely unlike their previous life. They all, for the most part, acted the same.

"Ugh..." Mukuro glanced at a camera as she made her way back to her room.

It made her want to  _see_  her sister again, not Monokuma. She wanted Junko to be there and  _tell_  her what to do, even if it were to bring despair to both her and her classmates. She shouldn't feel anything towards them, but she did. She  _liked_  being around them for a change and, if her sister found out, it... Well, she didn't want to find out what would happen.

Mukuro swiftly unlocked her door and stepped inside, slamming the door shut behind her and immediately locking it. Making sure it was secured tightly, the Ultimate Soldier let out a sigh before moving further into the room. There wasn't anything for her to be afraid of, not any of her classmates at least. It was more like she was sure that a certain someone would want to speak with her the moment she entered the room.

_**"Welcome back, my dear sister!"** _

The sudden voice made her jump, but she swiftly forced herself to relax. Had it been anyone else, they'd have had their throat slit by now.  _ **"Have you found anything useful?"**_

"Useful," she repeated.

Useful for Junko is different from useful for literally anyone else. For anyone else, this would have sounded odd, but Mukuro understood the deeper meaning behind her words.

 _ **"Yes, useful. Do I need to spell it out for you?"**_  Without waiting for her response, the bear leaned onto her pillow and continued.  _ **"Do they have their memories? Did they miraculously find a way out? Are they doing...naughty things? Honestly, I expected better from someone like you."**_

"S-sorry." That was the one thing she didn't want to do. Disappointing her was one thing, but pissing Junko off could doom them all.

 _ **"Yeah, yeah."**_  The bear waved his tiny paw in a circular manner.  _ **"Just get on with it, I'm getting bored!"**_

One of the greatest threats to this game was actually Junko's facetious personalities. She could, at any moment, shut off the air purifier and exterminate them all _if_  she decided the game was too boring for her. All that would take was the flip of a switch, and her sister knows it too. The soldier was fairly certain it wouldn't come to that, but then again, considering that the reason Junko decided to host the Mutual Killing Game was to alleviate her boredom, it wasn't inconceivable.

Yeah, the Killing Game's design was to spread more despair, but Mukuro would be lying if she said that was the only reason for it. Her little sister was desperate to fill the need for her despair and boredom. The Remnants of Despair wasn't doing enough, in her opinion, to appease her sister. She  _could_  say the same thing for Kamakura, but that man was on an entirely different scale.

Because of this, Mukuro remembered that there actually  _had_  been a reason Junko was so insistent on her going along with her plan. Junko had instructed her to gather any and all information she could get out of their classmates. Junko probably wanted to see how much they remembered about their previous school lives. If they remembered anything at all, then it would pose a major problem. Plus, she also wished to calculate who among them might be more easily manipulated.

"Yes." Her reply was firm and swift. "Aoi Asahina and Sakura Oogami are close-"

_**"Ya know, I've been watching too. Did you really need to tell me that?"** _

Despite her better judgment, she decided to ignore Monokuma and continue on, "At first, I thought they had regained their memories since they are already so close. But it seems to be only on an emotional level. I plan on keeping a close eye on them, though."

When Junko didn't say anything, she continued, "It does make sense. Those two became friends almost immediately after they met the first time-"

 _**"Laaaaame. Now did you find anything** _ **actually _useful?"_**

"From what I've gathered, none of the other students have any recollection of the two years we all spent together. It seems that the Memory Eraser you developed worked just as expected," Mukuro continued, hoping that would be sufficient enough.

 _ **"Well, of course, it worked perfectly! We couldn't have the damn thing screwing up like it did the first time! We wouldn't want that at all!"**_ Junko responded before falling silent; although, Mukuro knew why.

Her sister absolutely refused to even  _mention_  the time she spent as Ryouko Otonashi. Mukuro knew she thought about it from time to time, and she was even on the receiving end of her sister's past anger. Mukuro didn't know if the rage that consumed her sister was because it was from the most embarrassing moment of her entire life, or because her amnesiac state made her fight for hope rather than despair. It could even be because it brought up memories of someone that she truly wished to forget. Any of those things could be the reason, but Mukuro would never know for sure.

Not only that but ever since she regained her memories and murdered the Ultimate Neurologist, Junko had...changed. Sure, she still looked like Junko and acted like Junko, but something shifted inside her. Mukuro could see it in her eyes, the heartbreak and sense of loss, something she knew all too well. Nevertheless, she was still the despair loving girl she'd always been, but something far more twisted had awoken. ...Mukuro knew it had to do with the despair her sister had been exposed to as she had killed the only man she ever loved.

In any case, she didn't want to bring up the foul memories her sister despised so much.

"Well," she started, "There isn't anything interesting or concerning happening. Most of them appear to be the same. The only exception would be Taeko Yasuhiro, or rather, Celestia Ludenberg. She imposed a night-time rule on everyone, but most of them agreed to it willingly. That girl shows for more intelligence than the other-"

_**"Are you kidding me?"** _

Suddenly the bear stood up and leaped down from the mattress. The sight of its red face and glowing eye would terrify any other person, but because she knew her darling little sister was on the other side, Mukuro didn't feel an ounce of fear.

 ** _"Did you forget that I watch this shit too? Muku, it's_ BORING  _up here!"_** The bear raised its arms, unsheathing its claws with a small roar.  _ **"You're sooooo pathetic!"**_ She droned in a voice that made Monokuma sound odd.

"I know." Mukuro found that if she went along with Junko's insults, whether they're true or not, then she would be spared a lot of pain and anger. "I'm sorry."

 _**"What I want to know is have you found a suitable target for the first murder? Like,** _ **who's** _**going to be the first murderer?"** _

At the word 'target', Mukuro felt herself suddenly become both alert and excited. Finally, she would be actually useful to Junko!

"After observing all of them, I would have to say Celestia Ludenberg."

 _ **"What are you talking about? We haven't even given them the first motive yet!"**_ Mukuro flinched as Junko's pure voice came from the robot, not Monokuma's.

"Celeste is the Ultimate Gambler and, I believe, the one who is the most desperate to get out of here. She knows the risks of the Killing Game and will assess the rules accordingly, but she also doesn't believe she can lose, not with her history. That's why she keeps talking about adapting to this game. Not only to mention the initiative of her night-time rule, which will allow her to move around freely during the evening. She could perform a murder at any given moment."

 _ **"Hmm..."**_ The bear, instead of going back onto the bed, chose to seat itself on the floor.  _ **"It's so obvious that 'Celestia Ludenberg' will attempt to graduate eventually. She has way too much self-respect to commit the first murder, though. Even some dumb muscle, who's only good for killing, like**_ **you _should know that."_**

She didn't know what to say to that. Junko, of course, was always right, but...

 ** _"Furthermore,"_** she continued. Mukuro could picture her sister with her hair tied up and wearing those glasses.  _ **"She not the type to let herself make mistakes, especially with how little she knows. No. She'll watch from the sidelines as other people do that for her."**_

"Ah..."  _She is the Ultimate Analyst. I-I shouldn't have questioned_   _her!_ "I-"

 _ **"This is a huge waste of my time."**_   _...I have to come back from this! I have to-to make her feel better! That's...what she wants. She wants this information._

"I can't see any of the other students initiating it. Togami is all bark, no bite. Failure, for him, is not an option," Mukuro said, finally pulling the massive wig off. "We all know Naegi would never kill someone, the same goes for Hiro."  _He would probably be the first victim, though._  "I doubt Kyouko, Fukawa, or Chihiro would kill anyone either."

 _ **"You sure about that?"**_ Despite it being a question, Mukuro could hear the shift of tone in her voice.

"Yes." She gave a swift nod, then bowed slightly in an attempt to please her sister. "The only possible suspects I can see, then, is Oowada or Taka. Both of them, if pushed, could snap and kill someone very easily. Although, that applies more to Oowada then Ishimaru."

 _ **"Oh, reeeaaally?"**_ The bear waved its paw in a circular manner, its eye beginning to glow.  _ **"I must have misheard you because**_ **you _said Celestia was the only suspect."_**  Mukuro felt her heart drop.  _ **"So why did you lie to me?"**_

She stared at the bear in shock, feeling the familiar bout of fear worm its way into her heart. Was Junko going to kill her now?  _What do I do?_

"Junko, I-" Mukuro started yelling at the bear, in a moment of panic, but stopped once she saw it had slumped over. "Junko?" Thinking it was some kind of test, Mukuro tensed up; however, after a few minutes had gone by, she realized that Junko wasn't going to respond.

Mukuro crouched down in front of the bear, giving it a small shake, she said, "Junko? Is something wrong? Do I need-"

 _ **"Typical."**_ Completely cutting her off and ignoring her, the bear abruptly stood up and waddled towards the door.  _ **"It seems like your little boyfriend is a little unlucky."**_

"B-boyfriend?!" Mukuro's face flushed, as did Monokuma's, but that was for an entirely different reason. "What-"

 _ **"There's a meeting at the Nurse's Office. Now."**_  Junko's voice had been replaced by Mokokuma's at this point.

"Wait, what's going..." Without waiting for a response, the bear had disappeared from the room.

Mukuro couldn't do anything but stare at her door. Just now, she was sure she was going to get some sort of punishment. Whether it be by yelling or physical violence. But she couldn't stop thinking about what her sister had just said. "My little boyfriend..."

Obviously, she was referring to Naegi. He was the only boy she ever liked, and Junko (back in their school days) often teased and tormented her about them. What could Naegi have done, though?  _Is he hurt? ...He couldn't have hurt someone else, not Makoto._

"Did..." Her thoughts drifted to his talent and then back to her punishment. Naegi was prone to bad luck, everyone knew that. One time, she had asked Izuru Kamakura to explain it; since it was the very opposite of Komaeda's. He  _couldn't_  answer her question, though. He could, and did, speculate, but the  **Ultimate Hope**  couldn't explain it. That, in a sense, was truly both fascinating and frightening.  _Whatever's going on, it has to be luck related...right?_

With narrowed eyes, 'Junko' slid the wid back on and trudged towards the door.

"Did Makoto's luck just save my life?"

* * *

Sayaka quickly exited the cafeteria, the large kitchen knife nestled carefully against her stomach. She noticed Sakura and Hina eyeing her as she left, and she tried to seem normal, but her thoughts kept drifting back to Monokuma's words. Her heart was pounding and her mind was racing; all she wanted to do was escape! She practically stumbled down the hallway back toward the dorms. She knew she needed to come up with a convincing story before heading to Naegi's room, but it was becoming too much...

She stopped once she saw his nameplate. No one else was around to see her go in; it would be so easy for her to do it.

"I know he'll let me in..."

Keeping a tight grip on the knife, Sayaka reached up to knock but paused before making any contact. "He'll believe anything I...anyone tells him."

_He's the only one... He's the only one who'll let me get close enough to...to kill!_

With a muffled sigh, Sayaka knocked on the door, forcing herself to give him a warm smile.

"...Sayaka." He opened the door with a tired smile.  _Was he...?_

"Naegi? Is something wrong?"

Despite her cruel intent, Sayaka couldn't stand to see him look so pale and defeated. It was completely different from the happy-go-lucky boy from before.

"What?" His eyes widened with surprise as he opened his door further. "I-I'm fine! But what about  _you_? Are you feeling alright?"

She flinched at his worried expression. "It's um..."  _Why does he have to be so caring!?_ "Can I come in?" She asked, making sure to keep her voice light. He didn't answer her, though. He stumbled backward, so she'd assumed that he was allowing her in.

She forced herself inside, eyeing the decorative sword sitting on the desk beside her.  _I don't want to...do this..._ "Naegi." With a sigh, Sayaka turned around, fully prepared to attack the small boy, only to find him swaying back and forth.

"...Huh...?" His face seemed to turn pale as he turned towards her. He hadn't left that spot, not since she came in.  _This... This is my chance, but he's sick, right? He's vulnerable._

"Come here," she ordered.

It was then he looked at her with a smile, but it was different than any other smile he'd given her. His eyes looked dull and sunken in. He stumbled towards the idol, looking almost like a zombie. "Naegi?"

_NO! I can't let myself be swayed like this! Just because he's sick-_

She was pulled from her thought when something crashed into her, knocking her to the floor.

"Ghaa!" Thinking she was being attacked, Sayaka grabbed the knife, only to find Makoto Naegi laying right on top of her. "Naegi?!"

All her murderous feelings were now gone. The only thing her mind could register was that her dear friend, Makoto, was lying unconscious right in front of her.

"Ahhhhhhh!"

* * *

_...What happened?_

Naegi was laying on some sort of hard surface. What was going on?  _This isn't my room?_

"Oh, you're awake! Heeeey, how many fingers am I holding up?"  _H-huh?_

As Naegi regained consciousness, he was greeted by the sight of fingers adorned with long, red, fake nails.

"Wha...? ...Ugh... What?" he stammered, pushing himself into a sitting position. "You're..." Naegi stared at the figure until his sight cleared up. "You're Junko, right?"

The blonde rolled her eyes. "Why do you sound so unsure?" She narrowed her eyes and pushed her fingers closer to his face. "Now, answer the question."

"Uhh... Three?"

"Three? I'm a little concerned to hear you say that." Despite what she said, she was laughing as if this were all some big joke.

"Yeah..."

Naegi looked around the room, noticing he'd never seen it before. It looked sort of like a hospital, with three beds lined up together, and with various other medical instruments sprawled across the room. The ceiling was pitch black and looked ominous, causing him to shudder.  _Did I get hurt?_

"What happened?"

"Well." Junko crossed her arms and smiled; although, Naegi couldn't tell what type of smile it was. "That Monokuma thing came here and said 'I just can't  _ **bear**_  to see my precious students sick,' and he opened this dump earlier this morning." Before he had a chance to give any input, Junko continued on, "But don't you think that's suspicious? Like,  **what if**  all the meds are poison?"

"Ah..." He didn't want to keep thinking like  _that._  "So, what am I doing here, Junko?"

Junko looked down on him with a raised brow, before letting out a loud laugh. "Do you really have to ask me that? Why else would you be in an infirmary?"

"W-well!"  _Great. This is the second time I've embarrassed myself here!_  "I-I mean, how did I get here? The last thing I remember is going in my room."

"You should thank Maizono for thaaa~aat!" she sang, moving to sit in the chair beside his bed. "She was here  _all_  night taking care of you. You totally fainted on her."

"Sh-she was?!"  _...Three times I've embarrassed myself!_  "I-I did?!"

"But then Taka got all fired up and screamed at all of us. I'll save you from his  _looooooooong_  speech, but the basics were that we should all take shifts looking after your frail little body. I just happened to be on shift when you decided to wake up, geez! And, even then, it was only because Togami flaked!"  _Flaked...?_

"I-I see." Of course, someone like Junko would use the term 'flaked.' "Err... Thanks." She shrugged.

"Li~ike I said, you should thank Maizono," she said. "Anyway, how are you feeling? Is everything feeling alright? You seemed pretty unsure about my fingers."

"Ahh, um..." Naegi thought about for a few moments. He tried to remember what he was thinking about before, but nothing came up. "I feel a little dizzy, ...I think."

"You  _think_?" Junko leaned over and placed her right hand over his forehead.

"H-huh?" It wasn't the action that confused him, it was the texture of her hand. It was  _caked_  in some sort of makeup, and he couldn't understand why. It's not like he  _would_  know why a girl would put makeup on their hands, certainly not that much of whatever it was, It's just...  _Girls are weird..._

"You  _are_  a little warm," she murmured. She suddenly stood up and practically yanked his hoodie off.

"W-whoa!" Again, it wasn't the action that bothered him, it was the  _force._  He glanced at the fashionista with both shock and astonishment.  _She doesn't look strong enough to pull my hoodie off with that much force. ...That kinda hurt._

"I  _told_  them we should have taken your jacket off, but Monokuma was like, 'Noooooo! It's an invasion of my student's privacy! Unless you're planning on getting a little kinky...,' and then Taka started up and actually  _supported_  that bear's idea!" She took the hoodie and practically threw it across the room. "Like seriously-"

"Uh...Junko?"

She seemed to be too caught up in her own world, for she didn't even acknowledge his question.

"I knew you were going to get all hot and sweaty under there. I  _knew_ it could make it even worse. Even with Kirigiri's two cents thrown in, they still didn't listen."

"It's fine!" Naegi interrupted, flinching at her annoyed glare. "Really, it is."

"I don't see what's so 'fine' about it." She didn't say anything else, though, and moved to sit back in her chair.

"I'm just glad you guys brought me here," he chuckled.

"Well," Junko said with a shrug, "It was really funny watching Maizono struggle to drag you here. She was practically  _dying!_ "  _Oh..._  "But Me and Kirigiri took over since, ya know, no one else stepped up."

"Oh, then I _should_  be thanking you!"

"Huh?!" she gasped.

It was like he had said something completely Earthshattering. He watched as she raised a hand to her lips in shock and as her eyes widened. "...!" But as quickly as he saw her reaction, every ounce of fear and shock disappeared and was replaced with a wide grin.

"What are you talking about?" She said this with a laugh, but even Naegi could see the feral gleam in her eyes.  _What did I just do?_  "You were certainly lucky that Maizono barged her way into your room. We just did the heavy lifting!"

"No! That's-" Naegi wanted to tell her she was wrong, but he was interrupted by a fit of coughs.  _Maybe I am a little sick..._

"Ugh!" Junko abruptly stood up, causing Naegi to look up at her in confusion. "It's not that I don't want to talk to a cutie like you."

"Wha-!"

"But..." Although it was brief, Naegi could see the fashionista's cheeks flush. "But my shift ends literally right now." With that being said, she immediately started shuffling towards the door.

"H-hold on!" he called, only for her to ignore him.

She briefly hesitated at the door's opening, but she didn't turn back. He thought she was going to slam the door shut but, surprisingly, she left it open a crack.  _Did I say something wrong?_

Naegi couldn't do anything but stare at the door for a few minutes. He already didn't understand what was going on, but Junko's...odd reactions had truly confused him.  _Why did she act like that?_ Junko seemed fine when he first woke up, so what could he have said to scare her off.

"It has to be stress-related," he decided.

Of course, this situation would make anyone stressed. (Naegi even thought Togami was scared too, but he would never say that out loud.) He's heard that stress can make people act weird during situations where they would normally act level-headed. Junko Enoshima, the Ultimate Fashionista, was no exception to this rule.  _I'll have to-_

"Makoto Naegi!"

"Huh?!"

Naegi was yanked from his thoughts when Ishimaru himself slammed the door open. The Ultimate Moral Compass had a fierce gleam in his eyes that made Naegi want to curl up on the spot. "Oh, Taka-"

"Makoto Naegi, sick people should be RESTING!" Without saying anything else, Taka stormed towards Naegi with pure determination in his gaze.

"No, wait-" Naegi didn't have any time to refute before Taka ~~firmly~~ shoved him onto the bed.

"Rest is an important part of maintaining a healthy figure!"

Without saying a word, letting Taka's speech fade into the background, Naegi pulled the thin blanket up with a sigh. It wasn't that he didn't like Taka, but he had a major headache, and he knew that there was no stopping the Moral Compass now.

"Wonderful," he mumbled, wishing Junko was here instead.


	3. Chapter I: The Motives

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's exactly what you expect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SPOILERS!!! If you haven't read Danganronpa Kirigiri, Zero, what IF, or Despair Hagakure, this I wouldn't continue on. Unless you enjoy spoilers, that is...
> 
> I had a lot of trouble writing this chapter. At first, I thought it was going to be easy, but I was so, so wrong. There were a few characters that I literally couldn't get right, Sakura, Mondo, and Hagakure's. (I didn't end up writing those three, I begged one of my friends to do those, so if they seem a bit different, then that's why.) 
> 
> There were others that I had a hard time with, like Mukuro, Chihiro, and Leon. For those three, I knew what I wanted to write, but I couldn't get them exactly the way I wanted it, especially Mukuro's section. For Leon's, I wanted to have more of Kanon, but it was just awkward the way I was writing it, so I just kept it simple. The only problem I have with Chihiro's is how short it is.
> 
> And finally, did I go overboard during Ishimaru's section? Like, do you think I was too hard on Ishimaru?

**{Chapter I: The Motives}**

"Makoto!"

Naegi didn't have any time to think when Sayaka pulled him into a tight hug. "I was so worried about you!"

"S-Sayaka?!" he yelled.

It had been another day until Monokuma let him leave the Nurse's Office. Apparently, 'sick' students needed to be bedridden. He might have been thankful for the gesture if Ishimaru hadn't insisted on everyone taking shifts.

"How are you?" Sayaka suddenly dragged him with her towards an empty chair beside Hina, Sakura, and (surprisingly) Celeste. "You're not going to faint on me again, are you?"

"I-I'm fine!" Despite everyone having taken shifts, he somehow managed to completely avoid Sayaka. "And, uh, sorry about that."

"You're sorry?" The idol moved a hand to cover her mouth, her cheeks turning red with embarrassment. "If anyone's sorry, then it should be  _me_. I shouldn't have barged my way in, not when I knew you were so sick."

"Because of what you did, we've unlocked a pivotal room that, otherwise, would have stayed hidden away," Celeste denoted. The gambler had a look of disinterest etched all over her face, but Naegi could see something else within her gaze, but he couldn't really tell what it was.

"I concur."

Now that shocked Naegi. Celeste speaking up was unusual unless it was to torment someone, but occasionally she would actually contribute to the conversation. Togami, on the other hand,  _never_  spoke up. The (literal) only time the heir spoke up was to verbally maul another student, specifically the weaker-minded ones.

"Because of your idiocy, we've taken a step closer towards salvation."  _...What?_ "However, it's not like anyone here has any medical experience. That room will cause more trouble then it's worth."

"Togami, what the hell are you talking about?" Kuwata asked.

"Yeah, a-and, look what it did for Makoto..." Sayaka trailed off, losing all eye contact with Togami.  _Did I miss something between them?_

"Hmm...?" For once, the blonde didn't look annoyed or even angry, but the intense look in his gaze was...off. Naegi had to wonder whether this was the real Togami or not. "The 'Ultimate' Lucky Student would have been fine either way. Nothing out of the ordinary happened to him during his stay."

"You seem to be insinuating something heinous, Togami," Sakura stated. She crossed her arms and glared at him, but Togami didn't do anything other than smirk.

"Then you believe this act to be premeditated." Kirigiri's sudden assertion caused everyone to turn towards her.

She sat at the far side in the long table, right beside Oowada. The look she gave Togami was no different than before, but with how her lips were slightly upturned, Naegi thought she might have been enjoying this moment.  _She's another one who doesn't talk much. ...What's going this morning?_

"That's precisely what I'm saying." He leaned back in his seat, crossing his legs, and narrowed his eyes at Kirigiri.

"That can't be true!" Hina smacked her hand on the counter, but it didn't do anything other than cause Fujisaki to jump. "How could Monokuma predict something like that?"

 _ **"Did somebody call?"**_ Literally within the second, the robotic bear popped in at the other end of the long table.

Being one of the closest ones to the bear, Fukawa immediately leaped out of her chair and shouted, "Y-Y-You! What do y-you w-want?!"

 _ **"What do I want?"**_  He tilted his head and placed a paw beside his cheek.  _ **"You were the one to call on me. Isn't that right 'Hina?'"**_

"H-hey!" The swimmer shrunk down, scooting closer towards Sakura who, in turn, wrapped an arm around her. "You don't get to call me t-that!"

_**"I don't? How sad. How, beary, beary sad... I'm starting to get the impression you students don't like your lovable and caring Headmaster."** _

(Not a single person spoke up.)

 _ **"Oh well,"**_ he sighed. He took a seat on the table and let out a loud laugh.  _ **"Upupupu! I get it, I get it. All of you are just shy. Right Chihiro, my old buddy, my pal?"**_

"H-h-huh?!" The programmer practically melted on the spot.

"Leave her out of this!" That was another thing to add to the mystery pile. Junko, of all people, spoke up for her.  _She did watch over me, and she seemed really worried about me too. Maybe she's going to get more...nice from here on out?!_ "Like, just hurry up and stop being a dick! Picking on a flatchested girl like her."  _...We'll have to work on that._

**_"So now we're playing the insulting game, huh? Well, you might as well start there and prepare yourselves for the killing."_ **

All of them were instantly on guard, with Oowada and Sakura taking a step toward the bear while keeping everyone else behind them.

"How about you shut the fuck up!" Oowada cracked his knuckles, taking an extra step closer to the bear.

 _ **"How boring."**_ He leaned down, resting his read on his, white, paw.  _ **"You know, I've been wondering for a while now, why hasn't there been a killing yet? I mean, it's the perfect environment, and some of you are literally unstable. It's been nearly a week now, so I just can't understand why you haven't started yet."**_

"Of course we wouldn't kill each other," Naegi shouted. "There's nothing you can say that'll make us want to kill anybody!"

 _ **"Well, we'll have to do something about that, now won't we?"**_ He sat up with a groan.

"Is that why you opened the nurse's office?" Togami asked.

_**"Upupupu...! It's because I love you all so beary much! That's why I decided to whip something up to motivate you. Aren't you all glad? So, please follow me to receive your motives!"** _

* * *

Makoto Naegi's body froze as he stared at the image on the screen. Just a moment ago, his family had been there, cheering him on with so much enthusiasm that he had nearly forgotten where he was and what was actually happening around him.

And then, the sudden blackness of the screen had startled him and the next image is what made his blood run cold.

His wonderful and beautiful home was torn to shreds, the windows shattered, the couch torn to pieces, and his family was nowhere to be seen. And then, those horrific words appeared on the screen…

**_*Look for the answer after Graduation!*_ **

"...Wha!?"  _What's going on? They can't be...gone!_

Komaru had a huge smile on her face. She was looking right into the camera, right next to their mother. What happened? It was no different than when he saw her just a few days ago. ...Right? She made him sign up for this. She made him sign up for this school... That's why she had that glint in her eyes! "K-Komaru..."

What did they do? What did that bear do to his little sister? ...To his parents?

"G-God Dammit!" A surge of desperate anger rose up inside the ordinarily optimistic boy as he furiously smashed his fist against the computer screen that had shown him the despairing image. "I... I have to make sure they're okay!"

The anger inside him was too sudden and scary for him to properly deal with. He couldn't think about anything other than his little sister and what the Mastermind had done to her. He didn't notice how all his classmates stared at him. He didn't notice how Sayaka and Hina tried to console him. He didn't even notice that the stoic Kyouko's worried gaze now rested on him.  _She's too innocent, would they seriously hurt her?_

"W-where are they?" he whispered, letting Sayaka cover his bleeding hand. "I-I won't let you get away with this!"

* * *

Did that idiotic boy's tantrum startle him? ...No. It was bound to happen at some point, so he had been prepared. For it to happen so soon, though,  _that_  was more of a cause for concern than anything else.

He didn't care, though. Why should he?

"Tsk!"

Byakuya slid the DVD into the player with ease and waited impatiently for the result. He wanted to know what was able to make that boy snap so easily.

_"Forgive me, Young Master."_

_Huh?_

_"I have failed you."_

"...What?" His voice was hardly a whisper as he stared at the blank screen.

On the monitor in front of him, a white-haired old man dressed in butler attire had stared back him with tired eyes. The old man was surrounded by several gunmen with their guns pointed straight at the restrained elder. Behind him; although he could not make out who they were, were countless deceased bodies. The Ultimate Affluent Progeny instantly recognized the face of his faithful butler, Aloysius Pennyworth, and that fact alone was startling.

How could the Mastermind have possibly known about his connection with Aloysius Pennyworth?

Very few people outside the Togami Family knew about their connection, let alone his butler's existence. But then again, who could have possibly known about that and would be in a position to use it against him in this Killing Game? It couldn't have been anyone in his family, but no one else readily came to mind, and that troubled Byakuya even more.

Even so, it was a bit difficult to believe that someone had been smart enough to use Aloysius against him like this. Having no love or affection from anyone in the Togami Family, Byakuya never had anyone to turn to aside from his faithful butler. During his battle with his siblings to reach the top, the only person who had ever been there to witness his rise to fame had been Aloysius.

And while Byakuya wouldn't necessarily call Aloysius a role model, he certainly had to admit that he didn't completely find the servant to be without his merit. Even so, the Togami Heir valued the elderly man for his unwavering loyalty. That is why, when he saw his butler with his hands tied behind his back as if waiting for a firing squad to gun him down, Byakuya almost lost his composer for the first time in his life.

They could have asked for anything. Money, sex, even his own dignity. But to use his faithful butler against him, it made his blood boil. And when he saw those words appear on the screen, it was as if a declaration of war was made.

**_*Look for the answer after Graduation!*_ **

Taking off the headset, the Ultimate Affluent Progeny didn't bother listening as the bear began going on about what may have happened to the butler. For Byakuya, that was irrelevant. He knew now what needed to be done.

Briefly, he glanced towards the Lucky Student who, at this point, stared blankly at the screen in front of him. He knew now why he had acted in such a way.

He was still an imbecile, of course. Acting like that, showing your emotions in this game was going to get you killed that way, but...

"No."  _He does not get the sympathy of Byakuya Togami._

He straightened up and glanced over all of the other students. Now was the time for a game plan.

_This is no different than my rise to the top of the Togami Family. I will be the one standing victorious at the end of this 'Killing Game'. I swear it...on the name of the Togami Family!_

* * *

"T-this had to be f-fake! ...Right?!"

Asahina stared at the screen where her little brother, Yuta Asahina, had been looking back at her with a goofy grin. The look on his face was so sincere and innocent, but...

_"You're telling me that I gotta make a video for my sister?! Congratulate her for joining the academy? I don't know what to say!"_

He sat on the couch with a huff and looked anywhere but the camera. He wasn't exactly the...smartest person in the world, but seeing him again during this situation was wonderful. It was so like him... It really made her heart hurt.

_"I already celebrated with her... What else do I need to say? My sister is already an amazing person, she's even better than me at swimming! She doesn't need anything from me!"_

She would have laughed at his antics, but as the video went on, she only grew tenser.

A dark figure walked around to the other side of Yuta as he struggled to come up with useful something to say. The figure then proceeded to pull something out from their pockets. She couldn't exactly see what it was, but this person definitely had some sort of cloth on them. Asahina gasped as she watched the figure slowly pulled out a bottle and dumped its contents onto the cloth.

The dark figure placed the bottle right behind Yuta, who had no idea what was happening.  _Why isn't he running?_

"Y-Yuta?"

_"Oh, I know!"_

The figure raised the cloth, closer and closer to his face! Why didn't he... Why didn't he notice?! Why didn't he hear? Why didn't he run!?

"YUTA!" she screamed. "Look out!"

At the same time, Yuta's face lit up with excitement. He clapped his hands together as he finally looked into the camera...as he looked at  _her._  However, just as he opened his mouth to speak up, the figure behind him leaped forward and shoved the cloth over her brother's mouth.

It was only for a brief moment that he fought back. It was futile though, for it took only a few seconds for the Ultimate Swimmer's younger brother to fall limp in the figure's clutch.

She watched her sleeping brother until the screen slowly faded to black. It had to be an act. There was no way her brother would-

 **_"Well thank goodness for that!"_ ** _H-huh?_

Aoi Asahina closed her eyes tight as Monokuma voice rang throughout her headphones.  ** _"What an annoying kid, right? Thank God they shut him up! I mean, seriously. We would have been here for_ hours  _if they didn't knock his ass out!"_**

She opened her eyes as the computer screen slowly lit back up.

_**"But, anyway, he's still alive and kicking."** H-he is?  **"Or is he?"**_

She knew she shouldn't have gotten her hopes up, but as the screen lit up, she couldn't help the burst of excitement that flowed through her body. ...But there was no way for her to accept that sentence. There just was no way!

**_*Look for the answer after Graduation!*_ **

* * *

Sakura's bulky figure trembled with fury as her hands tightened into fists. In Sakura's family, the dojo where they all trained was more than just sacred; it was a place of peace and harmony that was the symbol of strength and hope for the Oogami Clan. It was a place that was treated with the utmost respect and was never to be tarnished.

So when the video screen flicked on, and Sakura saw the state of her family's sacred training ground, it took every ounce of strength to keep her rage from surfacing. Especially with the other's wails and shrieks being heard around her. Especially when Asahina pulled her in for a hug.

The walls and floor of the dojo looked beyond fixable. No longer was it the pristine building she had come to know and love. Large holes had opened up, allowing rain to seep through it, tarnishing the already damaged floors. However, the most enraging feature, to her, was the graffiti that took up a rather large amount of her family's training ground. It was the Mastermind's doing, of course. No one else would draw a Monokuma.

It looked like it had been in this state for years, and she didn't know how to feel about that. 

The instant Sakura regarded that fact, she became even more infuriated. Her gaze was so harsh that she was surprised the computer didn't burst into pieces. It took everything in her being to not punch the screen as Naegi had.

 **Who** had the death wish of destroying such a sacred area? Who was working with Monokuma? Those thoughts alone made her want to do something risky.

Just as she was about to calm herself, the shrill voice of Monokuma invaded her headphones.

 _ **"Well, lookie here at this dojo. You really let the place go girl!"**_ he cackled.  _ **"Wasn't this dump supposed to be under your care? I mean, you were entrusted with its care, right? But how could your family, who live so very close by, allow this to happen? Could it be that they've all been...destroyed?"**_

She would have ignored this coming from anyone else, but the Mastermind hasn't lied to them yet.

But that's when she saw it. Never before had a few words made her re-think her entire existence.

**_*Look for the answer after Graduation!*_ **

Sakura nearly recoiled as the monitor clicked off but she made sure she held her composure. Not just for her, but for her classmates too. Even if the demented bear's insinuations were true, and her family had been…overpowered, she was not going to lose control. And while she absolutely hated the idea of accepting this, there was nothing she could do to stop it.

What was truly unforgivable, though, was the horrid sight of their family's dojo being disrespected in such a way! Even more humiliating was that Sakura, as the current head of the Oogami Clan, was tasked with the responsibility to defend their family's honor by maintaining the dojo. If those images were, in fact, real... She would have failed in the sacred duty that had been passed down to her by her father.

"Sakura?" 

She ignored her friend and let the thoughts continue flowing through her head.

What would her father say? And...what would her beloved Kenishiro say?

And as much as she hated to admit it, it appeared as though she had utterly failed not only her family but also her ancestors.

* * *

_"Good luck at your new school, son! Please try not to get into bigger trouble with the yakuza and remember to bathe and always change your clothes, it's hard to make new friends when you constantly smell like incense and weed. I know you'll do fantastic, honey! Someone as perfect and sweet at you will do great things there! Oh, and **please** try not to get held back again!"_

Hiro didn't really understand why everyone else seemed to so terrified of these DVDs. Naegi, Togami, and even Hina were basically horrified. Maybe they had family issues because this was nothing but a nice, heart-warming video message from his beautiful and loving mother, Hiroko Hagakure.

Briefly looking up from his console, the Ultimate Clairvoyant watched as his classmate's faces began to twist in horror. He was going to ask the others about what was going on, but the only calm one was Kirigiri. (He wasn't even sure if she had watched her own video.) But he couldn't possibly ask her! She was fucking terrifying!

But that didn't stop him from wondering why they acted that way. This 'Killing Game' business was obviously a prank, so why did they-

_**"Oh dear!"** _

"What?" His eyes widened as Monokuma spoke to him through the video.

Immediately, he turned back to the screen, only to see his mother lying on the floor, covered with cuts and bruises.  _W-what's going on? D-did I miss something?!_ Suddenly, with a piercing scream, his mother was dragged off the screen and silenced with a thud.  _H-huh?!_

**_"Hmm... It seems that 30% accuracy in fortune-telling was just enough for our Ultimate Clairvoyant to NOT this coming! Oh my, whatever happened to poor Yasuhiro's oh so precious mother!?"_ **

Not even a moment later those words flashed on the screen.

**_*Look for the answer after Graduation!*_ **

* * *

_"Meooooooooow…"_

For a very long while, Celeste could only stare at the computer screen. She had been expecting some sort of threatening message or even a  _severe_  act of stupidity on someone's part and feared that someone may have discovered her true name and identity. The last thing she expected, though, was to see a stout black cat with a frilly white collar glaring at her through the camera lens.

This cat was none other than Grand Bois Cheri Ludenberg, her most beloved companion.

She had been forced to leave him behind, due to the school's strict pet policy unless it had anything to do with your ultimate talent. She never expected to see his gorgeous face here, though. It was the first time she'd felt comfortable in this rotten place.

_**"Such an adorable ball of fur! I'm beary sure he would want to see his dear mistress again."** _

Her attention was brought back to the screen when she heard her darling's feral hiss. A large figure stood over him, something long and blunt rested in their hands. Not even a moment later, the figure knocked him out of the camera's view.

It was followed by a smashing noise that sounded as if he had been struck. She heard him let out a snarl, one that she'd never heard before, quickly followed by a thump.

Celeste's skin became even paler as the dark figure once again loomed over the camera, a bloody object in their hands. There was only one thing she could tell about his attacker, and that was their fierce red eyes, probably in an attempt to mock her.

The screen began to darken but just before it faded completely to black, a frilly collar was yanked from behind the screen and was thrust in front of the camera.

Celeste couldn't stop the horrified gasp that escaped her. She didn't even care if the others heard her. Her beloved feline companion, the only real friend she had ever known, the only being in this world she had shared her life-long dream with was…

**_"Now then, I wonder if this little 'demon' is still alive? I certainly do wonder. Now, if only there were a way for you to know for sure...? Surely, someone like you knows the solution for that."_ **

**_*Look for the answer after Graduation!*_ **

* * *

Leon Kuwata let out a chuckle as he watched the screen before him.

On the screen, only briefly though, was his old middle school baseball team. The sight was _utterly_ embarrassing. They were huddled together chanting various bouts of congratulations and words of encouragement. Again, it was embarrassing, to say the least, but seeing them all together was a bit comforting. It was even better when he heard his cousin, Kanon Nakajima, ecstatically screaming along with them.

_"C'mon guys, you can do much better than that! Let's hear it for Leon! C'mon, louder than that!!!"_

She suddenly moved in front of them until she appeared in the frame. Her blonde hair was tied back with a little black bow and she gave an enthusiastic grin as she looked directly into the camera.

_"I know Hope's Peak Academy will be a lot different than here, and hard for you to get used to, but I know you can get through it! I know sometimes you can be a bit lazy, but I really do believe in you, big brother Leon! I'll be waiting for you!"_

Leon closed his eyes and let out a loud laugh. It was just like her to pull the team together like this. Under any other circumstances, he would have shrugged this off, but being trapped in this 'Killing Game', he found a surprising amount of comfort in this.

But when he opened his eyes again, the only thing he could feel was pure astonishment.

His peaceful baseball field was covered with hot-pink blood. The sky had turned red and cast ominous shadows over the area. The bodies of his former team were littered throughout the field. Frantically, he scanned over the area, analyzing each body in an attempt to find his cousin. She wasn't there, though. Where did she go?  _Where the fuck is she?!_

 _**"I do wonder where your 'dear' cousin is! Is she alive or dead? Upupupu...! There** _ **is _one way to know!"_**

**_*Look for the answer after Graduation!*_ **

* * *

_"I'll... I'll kill you bastards! You... Do you hear me...?"_

Taka's eyes were fused to the computer screen as he saw the figure of a man slouched against a small chair. Hands tied tightly behind his back, his skin bruised and swollen, and his red eyes dull and tired. Taka had no doubt in his mind that this was his beloved father, Takaaki Ishimaru.

The scene was akin to a, albeit harsh, police interrogation, which made sense to Ishimaru because his father is a police officer, but why was his father the one tied to the chair? Was he being interrogated, if so, why was  _he_  the one being questioned? Surely his father had noticed the disappearance of his son, the Headmaster, and the entire class along with him?

That's what he's been waiting for. For his father to burst in through those doors at any moment and rescue them. ...But his father appeared to be in no condition to do so. He didn't even look like he could dress properly in his current condition. ...And there was all the blood.

Surely his father wasn't a criminal; that just wasn't possible! Both he and his father were law-abiding citizens! So why had the Japanese judicial system fail them now!? There was no way this could actually be happening! Not to him... Not to his father!

**_"Takaaki Ishimaru, a well-mannered... Such a loving... What a thoughtful... Well, I'm sure he's good for something."_ **

Ishimaru could confirm all these things. His father was a fantastic man and loving father, so why did Monokuma feel such a need to state the obvious? It was a little sweet. 

_**"Your father is being held for information. Why you ask? It's simple. He won't tell us where to find his god-damn son!"** H-huh?!_

"That's... That's a good thing!"

That was, indeed, a good thing. That meant his father knew where they were, didn't it? If he knew, then did other people know as well? He would have to tell the others later.  _But doesn't Monokuma already know where I am? ...Doesn't he know where all of us are?_

_"You little bastards think you're so tough! Especially you, Ku-"_

Taka turned away from the screen when he saw the clamps being attached to various parts of his father's skin. He'd heard that sound before, his father had taken part in many interrogations during his time as an officer. He often told Taka about the particularly troublesome ones, and Taka knew full well what that zapping sound was.

_**"What happened to that stubborn old cop? Did he give in or give up?"** _

**_*Look for the answer after Graduation!*_ **

* * *

"...What the fuck is this?!" Oowada snarled.

On the screen was his gang, the Crazy Diamonds, they had their bikes all lined up and were revving their engines furiously. All of them wore similar uniforms that bore their gang's name on the back of their uniforms. Two of his best men held up a large sign congratulating him for entering the academy.

Just then, one of the bikers dismounted his motorcycle with a loud laugh. He walked up toward the camera, stopping just in front of it with a cocky grin on his face and his arms folded. Mondo instantly recognized him as his second in command, and their temporary leader, Takemichi Yukimaru.

_"Hey, bro."_

It was nice, it even caused him to grin wildly. This video was perfect!

At least, that's what it started out as.

No sooner then that happened, the screen shifted, now focusing on the bodies of his gang. They were everywhere. Some had their heads missing, some were missing limbs, and a few had large chunks of flesh missing from their bodies.

Mondo's eyes widened and pure rage coursed through him as he stood there, helpless, as he was forced to watch his boys get beaten… But the only one not to die was his righthand man.

And then he saw it. He saw someone dragging his body away, but Mondo couldn't tell if he was dead or not. What was he supposed to do when he was trapped here? Why did he have to be so...so helpless...

"You bastards..."

**_*Look for the answer after Graduation!*_ **

"You MOTHER FUCKER!"

* * *

W-W-Why is this…happening?!" Chihiro squeaked.

Only a moment ago, Chihiro's beloved father, Taichi Fujisaki, had been telling the programmer all about how proud he was of him and how he was going to do great things for the world. But now he was staring at his unconscious body.

"D-Dad?" All he could do was watch as a dark figure walked towards his sleeping body and slowly drag him, by his hair, off the screen. "D-Dad! What a-are you doing to him?! Where are you taking him?"

What were they doing to him? His father never did anything to anyone, so why would they go after him? Clearly, he wasn't sleeping normally and had been knocked out. How did they even get in their house? His father was a private man, toward strangers at least! "Why...?"

_**"Worried about your daddy? Oh, don't go worrying about a sucker like him."** W-what?_

"D-don't worry?"  _How c-could I not worry?_

 _**"Or... Should you be worried about him? Some loser who's probably no good for anything other than programming? Oh, well. That's a real shame now, isn't it? All he cares about is his only daughter. ...Should** _ **I _even be saying that, boy?"  
_**

All color faded from Chihiro's cheeks before the programmer collapsed to the floor, hot tears streaming from reddened eyes.

"D-Dad! I-I wish I could help you!"

**_*Look for the answer after Graduation!*_ **

* * *

The figure behind the camera had turned and was now looking down at a strange canister in his hands. There was a barrel and it had a long tube with a spray handle attached to it and an image of a cockroach with a large black X going through it. Obviously, this was some kind of insect repellant or poison, but why-

"..."

In mid-thought, Touko watched as the camera turned and face the center of the small room. Sitting there, doing absolutely no harm to anyone, was a large and  **very** familiar fishtank. to the tank she poured her heart and soul into making.

That's when she knew.

"K-Kameko?" She carefully called out to the small bug as the figure lifted the lid to the tank.

The little bug turned to the figure, twitching an antenna, but she didn't fly away. ...Why didn't she?  _Sh-she k-k-knows to stay away from p-people she doesn't k-know!_

Suddenly, the figure slowly lifted the nozzle and pointed it right at her companion. She still didn't fly away, though. She didn't even run, why didn't she run!? Did she  _want_ to get killed?!

Before she even had time react, the hissing of the poison reached her ears and she watched helplessly as the spray flew toward the insect.

"K-K-K-Kameko!" she wailed.

Just as Touko called out to her insect companion, the screen blackened and Monokuma's voice chimed in.

**_"I don't even have words for this. I'm sure you understand what it is I want."_ **

**_*Look for the answer after Graduation!*_ **

* * *

Hifumi felt winded after watching his video. From the moment it turned on, it appeared to be nothing more than a message from his sister, Fujiko Yamada. And while it was nice to see her again, Hifumi couldn't help but feel embarrassed that his sibling had spent a good chunk of the video reminding him how to take care of himself!

He would have to make it up to her, of course.

"I'll just have to write a new manga about her!"  _That would be good! She'll love that!_

_"That is all you men needed from me right? It's not that I don't want to encourage my little brother, but...this feels a little awkward, you know? It could just be a custom that Hope's Peak does, I suppose. That is a weird school, after all. ...Well, anyway. Is there anything else I can do for you?"_

"Oh, Fujiko," he sighed.

His older sister was so kind and tender. She'd be willing to do anything for him, or anyone if he were being honest. It was such a relief to see her safe and sound. He couldn't imagine what he'd do if she were to-

_"Ghaaaah!"_

"Hmm...?"

When he looked back at the screen, it was blank. He could have sworn he heard his sister scream, but the computer screen was blank. And then, it lit back up, and he was staring at an odd sentence.

**_*Look for the answer after Graduation!*_ **

"Huh? What does that mean?"  _Look for the answer after graduation?_ "M-murder? That's what 'graduation' here means, right?"  _But nothing's wrong? ...Is she hurt?_  "Was that scream real?"

* * *

Before watching her own 'motive' video, Kyouko took a moment to glance around at her classmates. Judging by the terror and desperation that spread among them like wildfire, the amnesiac girl assumed that this 'motive' had been planned from the very beginning and that everyone's initial refusal to go along with the Killing Game had incited the Mastermind to do this.

This was inevitable, of course, but that didn't stop the pit of worry that slowly grew in her stomach.

Turning her gaze towards one particular student, she realized that Junko had only just put on her headphones and begun watching her video. Was it because she had been one of the last to find their DVD or could it be that she had hesitated out of fear? She was also seated in the very back of the room, where no one could possibly see her video. In either case, Kyouko couldn't stop herself from believing the act was suspicious and made a mental note to question Junko about her fear later. ...Even if it had been for nothing.

Picking up her own headphones and sliding her own motive into the player, the amnesiac girl was actually quite curious as to what would appear. She wondered if the Mastermind had already known about her amnesia or not and if it would reveal anything about her identity or the memories she lost.

As the screen lit up, she was surprised to see photos of two separate people. One was of an old man who, oddly enough, felt very familiar to her. She didn't know this man, though, that much she knew. As she looked at the next one, though, she couldn't stop the whimper from escaping her lips.

This one was of a girl with short brown hair and, like the old man, wore glasses. She only looked a few years older than Kyouko, but she couldn't recall who this girl was. But why did she feel so sad from this girl's picture alone?

**_"This first man is Fuhito Kirigiri, and he's your only living relative. You two are beary, beary close, and he isn't actually that far away from here. He's a little too curious, don't you think? ..._ I  _think you would like to know more about him, yes?"_**

_Interesting._ This man she's never met before, Fuhito Kirigiri, is related to her. Not only that, but he was her only living relative that she is very close to. This also meant the bear knew she was missing memories, if not from its own statement, it was from the tone of its voice.

 _ **"Now this girl is named Yui Samidare. The two of you are close, closer than close can be! You could even say...she's your big sister! Upupupupu...! Oh memories, sweet memories! I wonder how scared she is? Is she thinking about you? Is she waiting for you to rescue her? Who knows!? Upupu! I think you should plan things out** **very**_ _ **carefully,**_   **Kyouko, _she might not live long enough to see you again. I am curious, though, who will you choose?"_**

_Who will I choose?_

Kyouko watched as the screen turned black, leaving only that sentence left.

**_*Look for the answer after Graduation!*_ **

Despite how shocking this information was, Kyouko forced herself to remain calm and in control, just as Sakura had. The bear had sounded much more serious than she'd ever heard him before as if it knew that provoking her would only make her work harder to find the solution. Not only that, but Monokuma hadn't seemed concerned in the slightest about revealing that her memory loss was not a coincidence, and, had proven that the amnesia had been purposefully inflicted on her.

But she was still thinking about that girl, Yui Samidare. Earlier, Monokuma had said Fuhito Kirigiri was her only living relative, but he also said she was her 'big' sister. Obviously, this meant she was of no blood relation. That felt odd to her; however, she didn't know why.

Was this girl actually waiting for her? Was she actually worried about her? She must be really important, for why else would her complete memory be gone?  _Why did the Mastermind take my memories of them? ...I wonder if the others are facing something similar?_

This information proved something else to her. The Mastermind thought of her as a major threat. A threat so great that it required them to steal most of her memories. And while she couldn't deny that it was more than tempting to be free of this place and meet with her supposed 'only living relative' and supposed 'big sister', the cost of attaining that freedom was too high.

 _I need to be patient._  She told herself.  _I need to worry about the things I can do in this situation. If the Mastermind is so worried about me, then I certainly can get to the bottom of this. I just need to bide my time. Now, I certainly doubt my classmates are in the same boat._

With a silent sigh, Kyouko Kirigiri hardened her gaze and waited patiently for her classmates to finish their own 'motive' videos.

* * *

Mukuro didn't know what to think as she watched her classmate's expressions shift from hope to despair. She made sure to grab hers last and was quietly observing the others as she made her way over to her own console.

She knew Junko was thoroughly enjoying herself right now. Surely this would appease her sister for the time being. I mean, everything was going according to her sister's plan and it was only a matter of time before the first killing started.

And it did...hurt, watching her classmates suffer like this. ...But she's gone too far now. At this point, she could onl live for Junko.

_It's taking longer than expected, but without the motives, they would never kill each other to escape. ...They would never kill each other, to begin with. Even Junko knows that._

Taking one last glance around the room, Mukuro was almost shocked to see Kyouko was doing the same thing as her, she didn't even have her headphones on yet! Briefly, Mukuro made eye contact with the detective before rapidly shifting her gaze onto her own DVD.  _I can't let myself get caught! Not like this!_

Immediately, she took the DVD out and practically slammed it into the player. Picking up her headphones, she carefully slid them over her ears, very mindful of the wig.

Just as she hit play, Mukuro glanced over at Kyouko who, thankfully, began watching her own video. A brief bout of pity and worry sprang up, but she forced those feelings down. A relieved sigh escaped the Ultimate Soldier as she silently congratulated herself for not being found out. She was sure Junko was proud of her too.

 _I wonder what Junko made for me?_ It was interesting, to say the least. Mukuro was positive Junko knew she didn't need any motivation for this Killing Game.  _Maybe she made a video anyway, just in case someone decided to peek?_

As the motive video finally flickered on, a figure became more and more visible. It was a female, with luscious curves, long red nails, pretty blue eyes, and bright gorgeous blonde hair that…  _Oh, God no!_

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop the gasp from leaving her lips. 

The figure on the screen was no other than her darling little sister, Junko Enoshima. Not only that, she was sitting in the surveillance room! The entire room was clearly visible and if any of her classmates were to see this image, it would completely ruin everything her sister had planned!  _Junko! ...What are you thinking!?_

 _"Hey there, Muku!"_ She was totally unprepared for when she started speaking. She sounded no different than when she last spoke with her.  _"How's the impersonating working out for you? You're doing...an okay job. It's kinda 'meh', but I think it'll be enough to get the job done."_

So many terrifying thoughts coursed through her mind at seeing her sister on that screen. What could Junko possibly be thinking?! Didn't she realize how much danger she was putting herself in by revealing herself, even if it was only to her?!  _What if one of the other students see this?! What will happen to her then? ...They wouldn't kill her, would they?_

The soldier knew that she was in a place where she was certain no one could see her screen but that didn't  _guarantee_  someone wouldn't see it eventually! Kyouko could just waltz right in here and watch it for herself. Now she would have to be sure to destroy this disk as soon as possible!

...But that wasn't the only thing that frightened her. Mukuro could tell that her sister was absolutely furious with her, she had just given her praise, but why would she be angry? Junko didn't need a reason, of course, but it would certainly help.  _Is my acting really that bad?_

 _"Ugh! I'm soooooooooo bored up here, Sis! There hasn't been a killing yet! Not a_ single  _one! And I blame you, Muku!"_

Mukuro visibly flinched at those words.  _B-blame me?_

_"I'm bored! I'm bored, I'm bored, I'm bored, I'm bored, I'm bored, I'm bored! Come the fuck on you ugly piece of shit! I thought you promised to alleviate my boredom! And don't you forget, I'm still pissed about you lying to me!"_

"I-" The Ultimate Soldier forced her mouth shut at those words.

All she wanted to do was to explain herself to her sister. What brought this on? If Junko really wanted to punish her over Celeste, then she would have done so already. She knew her sister better than anyone else! But...  _Is this because I blushed around Makoto?_

...That was probably it. Even Mukuro knew that Junko would never blush around anyone other than Matsuda. And she knew that for a fact. She didn't even blush around Izuru!

_"I know!"_

"You do?" she couldn't help but ask.

Junko had a feral glint on her eyes. This one was new. ...Not even Mukuro had seen this personality before.

_"If the killings were to start, then I wouldn't be so bored! Oh, Kamakura would be so proud!"_

"..."

 _"Sooooo, I have an idea on who you can kill. It_ was  _going to be_ her  _but I recently changed my mind. I have some plans for her already. So do me a solid and kill Makoto Naegi for me. That little shit has seriously been waaaaaay too hopeful during this whole ordeal. It would make me incredibly happy if you were to kill him for me."_

Almost instantly, the Ultimate Soldier revolved her gaze around until she was able to see the young male. Makoto was standing near Sayaka, obviously still reeling from what he'd just seen in his video, possibly waiting for everyone to finish their own.

And even though his expression was filled to the brim with despair, Mukuro could still see a hopeful glimmer in his eyes. He hadn't given up…even after seeing what had happened to his family. Even seeing happen to his beloved little sister, who he _constantly_ talked about, even after seeing everyone else's reactions, he was still able to keep himself optimistic.

She knew Junko had been bored; it was all she could talk about these past few days. Mukuro hadn't been expecting this. ...She would have  _never_ expected this. Not for Makoto, and not for her...

"I..."

Makoto had been her first priority. Out of everyone, she was going to make sure he stayed alive. She was going to keep him by her side. She had plans for him, but now... Now...!

 _God fucking dammit, Makoto! Why couldn't you just give in like everyone else!_  A single tear managed to fall, but Mukuro forced the rest of them back.  **This**  is what Junko wanted. She HAD to go through with this. ...But how could she?  _If you did...then I wouldn't be forced to... Forced to...! Fuck!_

The idea of ending Makoto's life made Mukuro want to rip her own heart out. Junko had been right. She felt too many emotions, and now it was coming back to get her. Could this be how she felt when she killed Matsuda?  _It's for Junko... It's for Junko! My...darling little sister._

_"How's that despair feeling? Good? ...Do I even have to ask at this point?"_

"Oh..."  _Junko's doing this for me? She wants someone like me to feel despair?_ Despite everything she had just learned, Mukuro felt touched by that.

 _"So, I know you have, like, the_ biggest  _crush on Makoto, but I kinda need you to do this for me. I also know how incompetent you are, so here's the deal. I'm gonna help you out, sis! I'll give you a whole 24 hours starting with tomorrows morning announcement to get the job done. I'll even give you a reward if you can get it done, which I know you will."_

She couldn't believe this. She only had 24 hours to do this. To-to kill Makoto! But what did she mean by reward?  _Junko never..._ If it was anything she gives like Tsumiki, then she wasn't sure she wanted it.  _What happens if I-_

 _"And if you don't,"_ She continued as if she know Mukuro was going to think that.  _"then I'll tell everyone about your true identity, you know, the one as Mukuro Ikusaba."_

Mukuro whipped her head towards the screen, letting out a rather large gasp, and watched her sister grin wickedly. That was a lie. That had to be a-a lie! There was no way that Junko would do that; not when she needed her so badly for their plan!

_"I know what you're thinking, dumbass. I had to plan just in case someone managed to kill you. And, I assure you, I can 100% get along with the plan without you. Need I remind you that I have the Imposter on my side? ...Two of them to be specific."_

Mukuro could only stare at the screen. What was she supposed to do in a situation like this? Junko was the brains of the duo, she never did any of the planning.  _It is true! I-I'm expendable! I need... I need to make it up to her!_ She glanced at the camera, which was conveniently placed on her.  _If only we could talk, then I could-_

_"I want to avoid that, though. You are my favorite sister after all. I really, really, REALLY, don't want to lose you again, Muku. Get this job done. And (upupupu) good luck!"_

**_*Look for the answer after Graduation!*_ **

And without further adieu, the video cut out, with those famous words at the end of it. It was most likely there so that if anyone happened to look over and see it, it wouldn't look suspicious.

She didn't care about the motive anymore, though.

She couldn't focus on anything. Not the arguing, not Sayaka's screaming, not even when the detectives gaze had landed on her once again. Nothing mattered to her at this moment in time. She really had to do it. ...She really had to kill one of her loved ones.

But something inside her felt...off. Was it sympathy? Heartbreak even?  _How am I supposed to know? Maybe Junko will...help._

She closed her eyes and let out a pained sigh.

_I-I'm so sorry Makoto!_

"I…I have to get out of here! I have to get out of here right now! I can't…I can't be stuck here any longer!"

* * *

"S-Sayaka! Wait!" Naegi called after her, still very startled that she had reacted so violently to his words. He knew that he reacted badly (especially now that he, and Oowada, would have to go to the infirmary now,) but it was almost terrifying with the way she had acted.

Just as he was about to go after her, though, a very harsh voice stopped him.

"Leave her be," Togami advised, "There isn't any point in going after her."  _W-what?!_

"I-I can't do that! She's my friend, she needs-"

"For you to be well."  _Huh?_

Naegi, along with everyone else, turned to see Kirigiri staring intently at his injured hand. "You need to get your hand fixed. Even if you were to go after her, I doubt she would allow you in."

"B-but-"

"Yeah, Naegi, your hand looks pretty bad." Hina winced as she glanced at his hand.

Naegi glanced down, noticing the traces of blood from beneath the cloth. Sure, he was going to go and bandage it later, but Sayaka needed him right now! "I know, but-"

"Ugh!" Suddenly, Naegi was grabbed by his hood and was thrust toward the door. "Do me and Kirigiri have to seriously drag you down there again?"

"J-Junko?!" he stammered. He could have sworn that, just a second ago, she was too worked up to even talk. He was going to comfort her later too, but-

"I got it." Suddenly, Naegi was quite literally picked up by the back of his hoodie. He certainly wasn't expecting Oowada to throw him over his shoulder. "I...owe it to him anyway."

"H-huh?!" Owed him?  _Why does he suddenly owe me?_ "H-hold on! You don't owe me anything-"

Suddenly, Oowada maneuvered him until he held him up by the front of his shirt.

"Do you want me to punch you again?"

"A-ah!" Despite his tone being soft (for once,) Naegi could see the seriousness deep within the biker's gaze. "N-no, sir?"

As Oowada dragged him away, Naegi couldn't stop his cheeks from turning bright red.

_How unlucky can someone be?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...If it's any consolation, I don't think I was too hard on Ishimaru.


	4. Chapter I: The Motive's Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group begrudgingly talk about a certain someone's video, while Kyouko thinks about her classmates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm not too happy with the beginning of this chapter. I took the damn thing and re-wrote it so many times that I can't look at it anymore. (Plus I want to move on to the next chapter.) After I post a few more chapters, I plan on going back and editing this more, but I needed a break from it.
> 
> Moving on to the final part of this chapter, I would pay very close attention to Kyouko's notes. There's a key factor hidden within them.

**{Chapter I: The Motive's Aftermath}**

_**"Good Morning, you guys! It is now 7:00 AM! Rise and Shiiine! Let's make today the best day ever!"** _

Naegi woke up, pushing himself off the hospital bed, with a groan. He would have liked to say that the Monokuma announcement had woken him up, but he could still hear Ishimaru's booming voice from all the way up here.

"Ugh..."

He liked Taka, really he did, but he was a little...too loud for 7:00 AM.

* * *

"It is important!"

"C' mon man, no one wants to listen to your shitty Motive Video!"

"You don't have to listen to it! There is something important I wish to discuss with all of you!"

"What's going on?" Naegi whispered taking a seat beside Hina and Sayaka.

"Oowada and Taka have been arguing all morning. Taka keeps talking about his motive video, but that's about all I know," the swimmer explained.  _His motive video?_

"Then there's something important on it?"

"Indeed there is!" Taka turned to the luckster with a wide smile, but Naegi didn't like how it wavered. "Monokuma said something that I think you should all know about!"

"Yeah, well I keep telling this dumbass that we shouldn't listen to anything that damn bear says!" Oowada whirled around to face Naegi, who all but melted on sight. "Tell him what a dumbass he's being!"  _H-huh?_

"M-me?" He really didn't want to be punched again, but...  _Shouldn't we be focusing on his video?_ Naegi glanced at Taka, unable to read the emotion on his face.  _It could be really important!_ "B-but I think we should hear what he has to say. If Taka thinks it's important, then we-"

"We all saw unsatisfactory things on that monitor, no?" Naegi glanced at Celeste, who twirled her finger through her hair with a sigh.

"What are you-"

"Taka simply could be mistaken. Monokuma is a rather cruel fiend, it's safe to assume he's manipulated, Taka."  _I don't understand._

"So you're saying we shouldn't listen to him at all?" He couldn't believe what she was saying, how could she not want to know about it?! "There could be something on there to help us out!" She stared at him with her usual unimpressed glare, not even bothering to twirl her hair anymore. Was that how bored she was with this whole thing?

"I agree with Oowada," Kuwata added. "I've got nothing against Taka, but Celeste has a point."

"I-I think we sh-should listen to it." Fujisaki crossed her arms in front of her chest and physically put Hina's larger figure between herself and Oowada.

"Yeah, if Naegi and Fujisaki want to hear it, then we should!" Hina shouted, slamming a fist on the counter.  _We should want to hear about it because Taka thinks it's important, but if this is the only way they will agree..._

"You guys can't be serious!" Oowada snarled, sending Naegi probably the harshest glare he'd ever seen.

"Obviously they're, like, serious!" Junko commented from behind Naegi.  _Even Junko's stepping up, they've gotta listen now!_

"Like I'd want to listen to any drabble that comes out of his mouth." Togami stood with a sneer, rapidly making his way towards the open doors. "Now if you'll excuse me-"

"Like, really Togami?" Junko glared at the heir. "I think we should listen to it. What's it going to do? Damage your ego?"

Turning around so fast Togami growled, "W-why you..."

"We're wasting time." Kirigiri turned towards Taka with a frown. "If you would."

"R-right?" Finally releasing Naegi from his iron grip, Taka stood straight up and addressed the group. "It was something Monokuma said regarding my father."

"Wait?" Hina asked. "Isn't your father a police officer?"

"Indeed! He said exactly this, 'Your father is being held for information. Why you ask? It's simple. He won't tell us where to find his god-damn son!'"  _Huh?_

"That...that doesn't make any sense," Sayaka mumbled.  _No, it doesn't._

"Is that it?" Oowada's eye twitched as he glared at the moral compass. "That's seriously fuckin' it?!"

"Y-yes, but i-"

"No, that  _is_  important information, Taka," Kirigiri addressed. She kept her intense gaze on Taka, not even bothering to react to Oowada's dumbfounded yells. "Do you have any idea why Monokuma would say that to you?" Taka flinched at the harsh tone of her voice but continued nonetheless.

"H-he was in some sort of interrogation room. My father is a law-abiding citizen! There is no reason for him to be there getting shocked!"  _Shocked? ...Was his dad electrocuted?_

"But..."  _'He won't tell us where to find his god-damn son!'_ "Monokuma already knows where we are," Naegi added. "Does that mean your dad knows too? What would the Mastermind gain from that?"

"I don't know. That's why I wanted to share this with all of you! If my father knows where we are, then the rest of the police-"

_**"Are you so sure of that?"** _

"Ngaaaaaaah!" Yamada shrieked. "It's back!"

"Get the hell outta here!" Kuwata yelled.

"W-what do you want, dude?!"

 _ **"What do I want?"**_  The robotic bear let out a loud laugh.  _ **"I just happened to overhear your little conversation. Do you really think those losers are coming to save the day? Really? Did you really think that? Huh? You all seem to have high hopes. Well, I wanted to crush that hope!"**_

"We're not going to listen to you!" Hina shouted.

 _ **"You aren't?"**_  He tilted his head to the side.  _ **"I'm sure your families feel the same way."**_ _K-Komaru..._

"Leave." Sakura's voice was filled to the brim with annoyance and rage. "We do not want you here."

 ** _"You want me to leave? And here I thought you wanted an explanation."_**   _Huh?_   ** _"Oh well... I know where I'm not wanted. How sad. How beary, beary sad."_**

"W-wait!" Naegi shouted, but the bear had already disappeared. 

For a moment, no one could say anything. ...That was until Togami had to open his mouth.

"All that did was make you suspicious." Of course, Togami was never one to hold his tongue, not even for a second. "What type of fool-"

"Oh just shut up rich boy," Junko groaned.

"Rich...boy..." Togami narrowed his eyes and, without another work, fled from the dining room.

"H-h-how dare y-you insult M-M-Master?!" Fukawa snapped, jabbing a finger in Junko's direction. ... _Master?_

"Insult? Togami was the one to call Taka suspicious," Hina pointed out.

"S-so wh-what, you crazy b-bim-"

"That's  _enough_." Naegi really shouldn't have been surprised by this point, but when Sakura stood up and pushed her way between Hina and Fukawa, he couldn't help but feel a little scared for Fukawa.

"Ahh!" And with a feral scream, Fukawa fled the room.

"Great. Nice going dumbass!" Oowada rounded on Taka, leaning dangerously close to the moral compass's face. "I told ya no one wanted to listen to your shitty video!"

"I..." Taka let out a breath, then slowly sunk into the chair beside the gang leader.

"So you're a pussy now?" he growled.

"H-" Naegi went to stop them but was promptly yanked back by Sayaka.

"Don't you remember what happened last time you got in between them?" She narrowed her eyes at him, keeping a tight grip on his arm.

"Y-yeah..." Why wouldn't she look him in the eyes? "I don't really want to be punched again, but Taka-"

"You need to look out for yourself too, Makoto. I really don't know what I would do if..." she trailed off, glancing towards the door where Oowada had just taken off.  _She's really worried about me, but what should I do?_

_Should I hang out with Sayaka?_

It wouldn't be a bad idea, now that most of the students had left.  _Maybe we can talk about what happened yesterday?_

"Do you want to talk at all? I'm worried about you too."

She finally looked at him, her cheeks a little red, and sighed. "Thanks for the offer, but I would rather be alone for now. That video was just really messed up, and... I just wanted to make sure you didn't do something stupid."

"I won't."  _She shouldn't have to be worrying about this. ...It's because of those damn videos!_  "I'll check in on you later then. Just take care of yourself."

* * *

"Oh, Junko!" Naegi ran after the model, only stopping to glance at Sayaka on his way out.

"What's up?" She'd said that with her usual smile, but even Naegi could see that distant look in her gaze. She's had that worn-out look ever since they watched the motive videos.

_Do I want to hang out with Junko today?_

"I was wondering if you wanted to hang out? I was hoping you'd want to-"

"Talk about your motive video?"

"...Yeah."  _She can't be an esper too. ...She can't be._

That wasn't the only reason for seeking her out, though. Ever since his first night in the Nurse's Office, he'd wanted to get a better read on the brazen fashionista. That...and the fact that Sayaka wanted to be alone for the morning. As much as he wanted to be by her side, Naegi couldn't really blame her.

"I've just been a little uneasy after watching it. It's just... It all feels so weird."

"Which part?" she asked, letting him pull her towards a table in the back of the cafeteria.

"I don't know. All of it, I guess?" He never really thought of it, despite that video being the only thing on his mind all night long. "Seeing my family was nice, but then..." Why did that have to happen? "Seeing the house all torn up... Seeing Komaru gone, it's all so confusing!"

"Komaru?" Junko's voice was so quiet and frail, it was a little disturbing.

"She's my little sister." The thought of Komaru immediately lightened his mood. "Yeah! She sent me off with this big smile like she knew something I didn't. Haha... I hated when she did that. She could be so annoying sometimes."

He expected Junko to make some sort of remark, but she looked too anxious to reply.

"You know, she's the reason I even signed up for the lottery." For a moment, Naegi couldn't help but look into Junko's eyes. They had lit up with surprise, if he were being honest, they were the most expressive he'd seen yet.

"She...did?"

It's just...Junko looked so familiar, but not the regular type of familiar. There was something different about this Junko and the one on the magazines Komaru owned.  _Is it the freckles?_

When they'd first met, Junko said her editors covered up her freckles. They seemed out of place. Now, don't get him wrong! They looked cute, but on Junko... It looked strange on the fashionista's figure.

"Yeah. She barged into my room, going on and on about the lottery. She was so sure I would win because I'm lucky, but I don't really think so," he chuckled. "I didn't really want to at first. I'm really not all that lucky; I'm just some ordinary person-"

"No, you're not." It was so sudden and her tone was so forceful that Naegi didn't even know if she had actually spoken at all.

"Huh? Junko?" She looked angry, no. She looked completely furious. What did he do to make her so angry? "What is it? What's wrong-"

"Don't say those things about yourself!" Immediately she shot up, slamming her hand onto the table with such force that he thought it would break. "You're not just some  _ordinary_  person! We're in  **Hope's Peak Academy**! No one here is normal!"

"A-ah..." This was so sudden. He didn't know what to say, he'd never been yelled at like this before.

"Do you get off on this self-deprecating shit? Huh?" She placed her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at him.

"N-no Junko. I didn't mean anything bad by it. I just don't think I'm all that special."

"Well," she huffed, crossing her arms. "I'm telling you that you are."

"I-I..." He knew his face was red by this point, but how else was he supposed to react? You don't just act normal when a famous model tells you that you're special.  _I didn't know she thinks so highly of me. We only met a few days ago._  "Th-thank you Junko."  _It feels so special. ...I wonder why?_

A few moments went by. Naegi being too flustered to speak, and Junko being too embarrassed to answer. It wasn't until Naegi realized that a  _girl_  had complimented him that he should return the favor.

"You're pretty special too, Junko."

"What?" Her face paled and her whole body went rigid. "I-I'm not..."  _Huh? Of course, she is!_

"Yes, you are! You stayed behind with me at the Nurse's Office. You stood for Fujisaki when," Did she get closer? "Monokuma was bullying her. Even today you helped me out when," Was that her hands around his neck? "I needed help backing up Taka. You've been amazing!"

Just like before in the Nurse's Office, Junko's cheeks flushed but immediately went away. Slowly, she released her grip on him and sent him a smile.

"Thanks, Makoto. If I do decide to kill anyone, then I promise it won't be you."  _Wh-what?!_

"D-don't say scary things like that!"  _Was she trying to be funny?_

"Oh don't freak out! I was only kidding!  _Geez_ , you need to lighten up a little."  _I...guess so?_

And with that, the fashionista abruptly stood up, flashing him a peace sign before she left. Leaving him completely confused.

_I...think Junko and I grew a little closer today?_

* * *

Kyouko entered her room with a silent sigh. Her classmates were absolutely infuriating. How could they not understand the importance of 'Taka's' motive video? Clearly, the Mastermind was trying to get an upper hand on them. But it was a hint, it had to be. There would be no other reason for Monokuma to mention something like that, especially to someone as impulsive as Ishimaru. ...Even with that, it was a contradiction in itself.

She had to admit, though, that not everyone had been useless. Naegi was the first one to question the others about Ishimaru's motive video. In fact, because of his eagerness to learn, others like Chihiro were able to speak up. Together, they had been able to get information out of the moral compass, even with how little it seemed to be.

"..."

Just thinking about the other students made her feel weird. There were a few that she...disliked? ...She had a clear disdain for a few of her fellow classmates, but each of them had their own qualities that even she couldn't ignore.

Byakuya Togami, for instance. She would rather not spend any more time than necessary with him. He seemingly had no interest in the other students and showed no concern for their well being. He is very egotistical and was rather cruel, going after the weaker-minded students like Naegi, Chihiro, Fukawa, Hiro, and even Junko. He constantly tested the other's intelligence and tried to get under their skin. But even she had to admit he had something going for him, his intelligence. Yes, he went after the other students, but he was only doing it out of curiosity. He believed himself to be the predator of this 'game'. And; although, she thought it was stupid he went about investigating them like that instead of just simply observing them, he was getting the information he wanted. Though, she didn't think he was a threat. Whenever someone stands up to him (like Hina) he'll actually back down instead of engaging, always running his mouth, of course. He's confident, but not willing to go to any drastic measures. She would have to keep an eye on him, though.

Speaking of other students she remembered her disdain for, 'Celestia Ludenberg' popped into her mind.

That clearly wasn't the girl's real name, whether she would admit it or not. She was a master manipulator, certainly rising to the title of The Queen of Liars. All this talk about adapting to the current situation, and, for reasons she couldn't explain, she could see the pure hatred and resentment in the gambler's gaze while no one else could. It was incredibly suspicious.  _She wants to be in control_ _._   _That's why she imposed the nighttime rule._  Anyone could... Anyone  _should_  be able to see through that. With that rule in place, she could freely move about the school.  _Yamada would probably..._

"..."

Hifumi Yamada wasn't exactly her favorite of her classmates. He was boisterous and touchy, but he treated each and every one of them with respect, something  _she_  had a hard time doing. He's very passionate with his work, she noted. She had to give him credit for that, but she wouldn't willingly go out of her way to spend time with him.

Yasuhiro Hagakure was a student she had absolutely no interest in. Every word that came out that man's mouth was absolute nonsense. He was going to fall. _H_ _ard._

She didn't dislike Touko Fukawa, but she didn't like her either. Given time, she could prove herself useful. The poor girl was clearly shaken up by everything, and Kyouko couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Despite how hostile she was, students like Naegi and Hina were looking out for her, so that was a step in the right direction.

But there was one student in particular that Kyouko really didn't like.

Sayaka Maizono was incredibly dangerous. It only took one look on that first day to know that but after the motive video incident, Kyouko had no choice but to be wary. Sayaka was an Idol. She was perfectly capable of manipulation someone, just like Celeste. It was her eyes that worried her. Kyouko didn't know where or why, but she had seen those eyes before. They showed something Kyouko shouldn't have recognized, killing intent. It was clear to her that Maizono had wanted to do _something_ to somebody. She had already been alone with Naegi at various points, and that would have to be changed. Kyouko was sure the more intelligent students were able to see through her act, in fact, she had already seen the way Celeste had kept her distance from the pop idol. Togami kept his distance from everyone, though, so that was hardly worth being noted.

_She's been plotting from the begging._

That...was something else that worried her. From the moment Monokuma popped up, Maizono had that glint in her eyes. She pulled Naegi along, bringing dangerous objects to his room.  _What could she be planning with him?_  If she wanted to kill him, then she would have done so when she was alone with him. Kyouko saw how sick the 'lucky' student had been, he would have been an easy target for her. Even someone like Chihiro could have killed him then, so why didn't Maizono kill him? It was all too suspicious.

"Hmm..."

She didn't really have a reason to be too skeptical of her, but Junko Enoshima was a bit suspicious as well. Kyouko made sure to keep a close eye on her during the motive video incident. Junko looked absolutely horrified by her video, more so than any of the other students. The other students yelled and such, but Junko talked to her screen as if someone were having an actual conversation with her.  _Could she have just been shaken up, or is there something bigger going on?_

When Naegi asked her to talk about their motive videos, Junko looked...strange.

Kyouko felt confident in her ability to read people; she took a lot of pride in that aspect. However, that look in Junko's eyes was unlike anything she'd ever seen before. It was so similar to the one she gave Naegi during that time. It was... ...It was impossible for Kyouko to read that emotion. Grief, horror, despair...? It could have been guilt, but she didn't know.

_I heard Naegi talking about his video with her. I'll have to interrogate him soon, perhaps I'll get the information... No. His emotions and thoughts are easy to manipulate. All I have to do ask and he'll let it slip._

She didn't think it would be too hard; even Chihiro held her true emotions better than Naegi did. She would talk to Junko after, of course, but some insight would be appreciated, or if it was even worth investigating her.

"That should be easy enough..."

With a sigh, Kyouko left her room, completely unaware of the person watching her.


	5. Chapter I: Plans set in motion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plans of murder arise while an unknown student unknowingly seals their fate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, next chapter is scaring me. Things are happening guys, I repeat, they're happening!

**{Chapter I: Plans set in motion}**

"I've gotta do it. I've gotta do it tonight!"

Sayaka paced around her room, stopping every now and again to glance at her door. "I have to get out of here. I have to!"  _I can't take it anymore!_

Her family, friends, and her bandmates... Were her bandmates really dead? They couldn't be. There was just no way that was true! They were just unconscious! ...Right? And what about Ayaka? Some guy in a thick, black, cloak had stolen her friend away, but what did they do? Was she dead too? ...They aren't dead. They aren't dead. They aren't dead! They. Aren't. **Dead.**

"I... I need to plan!"

Immediately she rushed over to her dresser and yanked the drawer open, only to find it empty.  _...What?_  "Where is it?" Slamming the drawer shut, she opened the next one, then the next one, then the- "Why isn't it here!" She slammed it shut and collapsed onto the floor with a wail.  _Who took it?!_

The knife she had taken from the kitchen was gone. The knife she was going to use to kill... I-it was gone! She was so careful to keep it hidden from the other students. She had stuffed it into her bedroom drawer in case anyone tried to come into her room, so why was it go-  _No..._

"I..." As the realization of where that knife was dawned on her, the only thing she could feel was pure horror. "I left it in  **Makoto's room**!"

* * *

_**"It's okay, Muku. You still have until tomorrow's morning announcement to kill him."** _

Mukuro nearly leaped out of her seat when Monokuma's high-pitched voice came from behind her.

"J-Junko, I-"

 _ **"I don't understand why you didn't do it, though. Your grubby hands were right there; you could have snapped his neck like a twig."**_ How was she supposed to tell her sister that he was too precious to kill? Junko would never let her hear the end of it.  _ **"I mean, 'If I decide to kill someone, then I promise it won't be you.' What kind of sap is that?"**_

"I-"

_**"Let's be real. I should have known you're crush would get in the way of your mission."** _

Mukuro glanced away in embarrassment. Of course, it was no surprise that Junko knew of her attraction to Makoto. They were sisters after all, hell, they were  _twins!_ They have always had that special connection, and there were things that were obvious between the duo, even if neither of them said a single word about it. Even then, it didn't stop the mercenary from feeling utterly helpless in front of her little sister.

"Okay," she sighed, pulling off the massive wig. "I'll admit it, Makoto-"

 _ **"First name basis? So soon?"**_  Normally, she would be embarrassed by this, but Junko insisted on everyone calling her by her first name. Now, had it actually been Mukuro...  _ **"You know what? Good job."** H-huh?! _ _ **"I'm proud of you."**_

"P-pr..." She couldn't even speak, this was just so...so sudden!  _Junko's proud of me? She... She's proud of me!_

_**"He trusts you. I mean, yeah, that little line shook him up, but he's gotten you wrapped around his little finger; the same goes for you too!"**  Oh... **"Sooooooo, think of the despair it will bring when you do the deed. He has his complete and utter trust in you, Miss. I promise it won't be you'. It'll break him! Ooooooh! I can't wait!"**_

"Y-yeah."  _Fuck... Fuck!_

_**"Keep it up! Take him on a date or whatever, not now, he's crying in his room right now, but later."** _

"He's what?"  _Crying? Why would be crying? I just left him a few minutes ago, why would he-_

 ** _"By the way..."_** Monokuma pushed his paws in front of his mouth, letting out a quiet laugh.  _ **"I'd watch your back if I were you tonight. A certain someone seems to be having a breakdown."**_

"Breakdown..." she murmured. "You're talking about Maizono, right?"  _I don't think anyone else is that bad. ...But she did just tell me Makoto was crying._

_**"Ugh! Use your own fucking brain! Are you that stupid? ...Don't answer that, dumbass."** _

The soldier narrowed her eyes as she moved to sit on the edge of her bed. She  _did_  think the idol was capable of murder, but she never got the chance to tell her sister. If anything, she still thinks Celeste is more of a threat.

 _**"Hmm... I think I'll leave this for now. There** _ **was _something I was going to tell you, but I think I'm going to wait until you fuck this up. Soooooo, bye Muku!"_**

"Wait, Junko hold on!" Her sister didn't listen, though. As soon as Mukuro spoke those words, Monokuma had disappeared.

"...Fuck." As pure hot rage rose inside her, Mukuro whirled around, smashing a hole into her desk. "Fuck!"

* * *

_It would be so easy, but I can't kill Makoto._

Sayaka had successfully managed to swap rooms with the lucky student. She  _had_  to get her hands on that knife, and sure enough, it had been hidden away in one of his drawers. ...She may not have been able to kill him, but she was certainly going to use him. That's exactly what she was going to do, to pin it all on him.

She'd been using him from the beginning anyway...hadn't she? The only reason she'd befriended him in the first place was just a way to cope with this desperate situation. Yeah, that's why she'd done it. And, of course, offering to be his assistant was merely a way to earn his trust…there wasn't any…other reason. ...He was weak, he had nothing. She had friends, family, her fucking career on the line! So she wasn't... She shouldn't feel bad...right?

Faking that someone was after her, getting Makoto all alone in his room, stabbing him from behind when she got the chance, that was what she thought she was going to do, but he was just to kind for her to kill.

Makoto was pure and honest. He was everything that she wanted to be. Sure, she appeared that way to so many of her precious fans, but she knew how rotten her soul truly was. Many of her rivals had fallen victim to her ruthlessness during auditions. Even her own bandmates were sometimes cautious of her when she was angry.

"But who do I go after now?"

Surely she couldn't pick someone like Oowada (for obvious reasons) or Togami, who would never agree to meet anyone. Kirigiri seemed so cold and distant that she doubted she would ever meet with her, the same goes for Celeste. Sakura would knock her head off with one punch, and Yamada was just too big to deal with. Fukawa is way too timid to meet her, and Taka would probably talk  _her_  to death. Naegi was taking the fall, so that left, Fujisaki, Junko, Leon, Hagakure, and Asahina.

She could lure them, but somehow she doubted the fashionista would fall for her, so Junko was definitely crossed off the list.  _Asahina could probably fight back, despite how easy she could be lured. So it would probably be wise to cross her off._

"It has to be someone believable, someone Makoto would kill..."

That was her problem. Deep down, Sayaka knew Makoto would never kill somebody, let alone any of their classmates. And the other students probably knew that too.

"I can make it work!"

Besides, who would they believe more? A perfectly average student, or a famous pop idol?

* * *

Junko Enoshima was completely and utterly bored, plain and simple. It had been an entire week and not a single person had died yet! She had hoped by giving her retarded and ugly older sister that time limit would speed things along, but she was starting to doubt her sister's abilities.

Currently, her dumbass sister was sharpening her favorite combat knife. Whether she was actually planning a murder or just de-stressing was unknown, but there was a chance, a slim chance, that her sister was actually going to kill the lucky student, but she honestly doubted it.

There was no way softhearted Mukuro would slit his throat.

"What can I say? Acting can only get someone like her so far." As much as she loathed to admit it, Mukuro just _wasn't_ her. She couldn't kill Naegi as she had with Matsuda. Mukuro had always been the more humane of the duo, despite her being a trained killer.

"I should have had her kill that detective after-"

Junko stared at the monitor where a certain blue-haired idol was slipping a note under someone's door. "What's this?"

The idol had frantically glanced around, no doubt making sure no one was around, then dashed into Makoto's room.

Now, Junko was no fool. She saw the change in nameplates and was nearly tempted to punish her right then and there. But as the idol hid behind the door, clutching a kitchen knife close her chest, Junko knew she couldn't pass this up. ...That was exactly when she saw the victim read their note.

"It's happening! I repeat  _it's HAPPENING!"_

Part of her wanted to go and drag Mukuro's fat ass up there right then, to see the excitement, but she decided to use this against her later. She did fail her super special mission, after all. She had to be the  _first_  person to kill.

"What a  _terrible_  choice! Upupupupupu... She must really be desperate!"

The excitement was killing her, quite literally. But she also knew her Remnants of Despair were watching too.  _Kamakura-senpai better be watching!_ They must be going wild right about now. They  _were._ She could practically feel their enthusiasm from all the way up here.

"Losers."

* * *

_"There's no way I could kill anybody, even if it meant getting out of here and seeing if that video was for real. I know I'd never be able to forgive myself if I did that, but then what am I supposed to do about-"_

_*Riiiiiiing!*_

They nearly fell off of their bed as their doorbell rang. A bit startled, they shot up from their bed and scowled at the door.  _Who could that be?_ They weren't expecting anyone to stop by, certainly not with how late it was. They didn't really want the company either, there was just too much going on at the moment.

Just as they were about to call out to whoever was behind the door, they watched as a small slip of paper slid under their door. Giving it a sideways glance, they gradually got up and walked toward the folded up piece of paper.

Picking up the paper, they cracked the door open and peeked out, but there wasn't a single soul out there.  _I guess it is nighttime, but why send this and leave? Why not just wait?_

With a grumble, they unfolded the paper, but they were shocked by its contents:

_There's something very important I need to talk to you about. Just the two of us. In a few minutes, please meet me in my room. Make sure to check the nameplates to make sure that you don't get the wrong room!_

_-Sayaka Maizono_

"Huh?" She was asking them to meet with her, alone…in her personal room?

At first, they were shocked. Sayaka passing a note under their door was odd enough, especially with how late it was, but looking over the contents, they began to piece together what she was trying to do.

"It's gotta be about what we talked about earlier! That has to be it, ...right? She's really going to help me out!"  _She's taken everything so hard..._

A grin broke out on their face as they came to that conclusion. Of course, that's what it had to be! She needed someone there to help her and she probably chose them because they had bonded over that thing!

_But..._

"Why..."  _Not that I'm not grateful..._ "Why didn't she ask her sidekick?"

I mean, that was a little strange. She had been glued to the lucky student (he certainly was lucky! The little bastard!) since the beginning of this whole ordeal. Why choose someone like them when she was already so close to him?

"I guess I shouldn't be complaining."

What type of lunatic would pass up a secret meeting with a famous pop idol?


	6. Chapter I: The first death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naegi discovers the first victim and the class trial is made known to the remaining students.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Regarding FTEs, I have the in-game ones planned out and set up for the rest of the story.   
> Optional FTEs, are the ones regarding either the current situation at hand or a completely different topic, like the one with 'Junko'. Let's just say you really want to see Naegi interact more with Hagakure of Fujisaki, that's what these are for. Kyouko will be available after Chapter 1 is complete. ...I also forgot to mention before that Monokuma is also an option. (You don't have to do this. I just wanted it to be an option.)

**{Chapter I: The First Death}**

_**"** _ _**Good Morning, you guys! It is now 7:00 AM! Rise and Shiiine! Let's make today the best day ever!"** _

Naegi's eyes fluttered open as the morning announcement penetrated his ears, ruining his well-earned rest. Even so, he continued to rest his eyes for a few moments after the announcement, not ready to face the day just yet.

The bed and room's scent was just too comforting.

In reality, he knew he shouldn't have been thinking about while he was in someone else's room, especially someone like Sayaka's room. A girl...a famous pop idol's room. ...God, if only Komaru knew he was sleeping in THE Sayaka Maizono's room.

"She'd be losing her mind," he chuckled. With a yawn, Naegi rolled out of the idol's bed.

He'd slept great that night. Yeah, he'd worried about Sayaka, but he was so sure she wouldn't open the door for anyone. With that in mind, Naegi was able to fall asleep without any issues. Well, there was one thing he didn't want to think about, but that didn't happen last night, so everything was fine.

"I better get going. We all promised to eat breakfast together, and I'm already a few minutes late."

...

Naegi left the room feeling like everything was going to be okay. There were already a few people there when he'd arrived.

"Good morning to you, Naegi!" Despite him being late, Taka greeted him with open arms.

"G-good morning Naegi." He could just see Fujisaki's figure from beside Hina, Sakura.

Sakura smiled from beside Hina. Crossing her arms she greeted, "Early riser I see..." Naegi, of course, returned the smile as Hina forced him into the seat right beside herself and Fujisaki.

"Mornin'!" Plopping down in her own seat, Hina shoved a box in his direction. "Here, have a donut!"

"A-ah." While he didn't necessarily want one, the look on Hina's face didn't leave much room for refusal. "Thank you, Hina. And, um, good morning you guys."

The next wave of students were ones Taka deemed as 'students with bad habits', even though Naegi himself had been late that morning.

Oowada greeted them simply, briefly glancing at Junko, then proceeded to sit on the farthest end of the long table, earning a 'light' scolding from Taka. Hiro and Yamada greeted them warmly. Naegi guessed they were having some sort of passionate conversation beforehand, for the duo took seats beside each other and laughed loudly with each other.

"Sorry I'm Laaaate!" He was startled by Junko's sudden voice, but as he turned toward her, he couldn't help but feel a bit worried.  _Her eyes are red. They... Was she crying last night too? ...She wasn't like that when I met up with her._ "Took me a bit longer than usual to do all my make-up!"

"Junko, are you-"

She walked straight past him, not even bothering to glance in his direction, and took the seat directly across from Oowada. He was shocked by this, but he chalked it up to her not being a morning person.  _I'll see how she's doing after our meeting._

Then, Naegi watched as Celeste, followed by Fukawa, and then Kirigiri strolled into the room.

"I'm sorry I'm late." Kirigiri's voice held no emotion whatsoever as she entered the cafeteria. Crossing her arms, she took the seat right beside Junko, which Naegi couldn't help but find strange.

"Junko, forgive my rudeness but you appear quite different than on the cover of your magazines. It was not what I was expecting," Sakura commented from beside Hina.

Naegi watched as Junko's face contorted with a flurry of emotions, fear being the most prevalent, followed by embarrassment. Naegi knew the answer already, as she'd told him, but he didn't know she didn't tell the others yet.

Waving her hand dismissively, she exclaimed, "That's because I get all fixed up for the magazine articles!" Her mood seemingly shifting into a better one. "They use photo editing and all that jazz to spice things up! C'mon, no one likes freckles."

Thinking back, Naegi remembered how she had some sort of concealer on before, back when she'd met everyone. Yesterday was actually the first time he had gotten a good look at her without her all the make-up, but he assumed it was due to the stress of everything going on. But that wasn't a good thing that she was hiding a part of herself.  _I feel a little bad now for thinking it looked weird on her._

"Is that so? I apologize if I have offended you."

"Nah, don't worry about it, they do that sort of thing all the time. If the manager doesn't like something, they either grow em' or get rid of it altogether."

Now that part had shocked him.  _How can they just completely change how a person looks? ...That doesn't seem right-_

"Alright! Is everyone present?!" Naegi was pulled from his thoughts as Taka screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Um... Togami, Maizono, and Kuwata haven't arrived yet," Hina chirped.  _I don't really expect anything different from Togami or Kuwata, but Maizono..._ A feeling of worry came back, but Naegi ignored it. He was sure she was alright.

"I haven't what now?" the cold and stern voice of Togami called out, turning everyone's attention toward the door.

He strode in, as usual, with his confident and smug attitude already showing. Without offering anything else, the heir took a seat far removed from the other tables and waited patiently for the meeting to begin. However, he barely got the chance to rest before he was bombarded with important questions.

"Yo Togami." Oowada sideways glanced at the heir, only seeming a little concerned. "You seen Maizono or Kuwata around?"

With what seemed to be an annoyed sigh, he answered, "Like I'd know where those peasants are. I left my room and came straight here."  _Huh?_

"Hmph." Taka placed a hand to hid chin. "I'll admit I expected this of Kuwata again, but this is absolutely unacceptable of Maizono!"

"You...don't think she'd forgotten about our breakfast oath?" Yamada asked to no one in particular.

Lifting a gloved finger to her chin, she added, "She lives her life by her schedule." Naegi couldn't really dispute Kirigiri. Everything they did together was because of Sayaka's style and temper. He never really had a choice in anything they did.

"Yeah, what she said." Junko absentmindedly picked at her fingernails. "She's an idol. I'm sure the getting all spruced up before our meeting."

Listening to the others talk, Naegi felt a small seed of apprehension in his heart. He was so sure she was going to be fine. There wasn't any possible way for her to have gotten hurt, not with how scared she was last night.  _But she's never been late before._

"I'm gonna..." He couldn't even think at this point. "I'm gonna go check on them!"

No sooner then the words left his mouth, Naegi sprinted down the hall, ignoring the looks of shock on the other's faces. There was no way he could have just sat there!

Passing his own room, just in case Junko had been right, he made his way towards Kuwata's dorm. Naegi practically slammed his fist into the doorbell and held it there.

_*Riiiiiing!*_

Naegi waited for a few moments, but Kuwata didn't answer the door. So, again, Naegi held down the button, hoping to annoy the all-star out.

_*Rrrrriiiiiiiiinnnnggggg!*_

"Kuwata!" he shouted when no one opened the door. "Are you okay?!" He pounded on the door this time, praying for him to open it up. He wouldn't even be mad if Kuwata had just overslept at this point. "Kuwata! We're worried about you!"  _I-I need to go check on Sayaka!_

More worried than ever before, Naegi race to his door and pushed the button.

_*Riiiiiing!*_

It was silent. The room he'd swapped with Maizono for only one night...  _His_ room. The room he was supposed to have slept in. ...It was all silent.

"Sayaka..."

He grabbed the doorknob and pushed, pushed until the door flew open. Not even bothering to acknowledge the fact that it should have been locked, he thrust himself into his dorm room, fully expecting to be shouted at by an angry idol.

And then...

* * *

"GHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

The instant that bloodcurdling shriek rang throughout the room, she knew. She knew someone had finally given in to the temptation, and she shouldn't have been surprised.  _Right now, it's either Kuwata or Maizono dead right now. ...Maizono is most likely the killer._

Unsurprisingly, Taka was the first one to react, tearing away from the head of the table he was seated at. As he reached the door, he spun around to face his fellow classmates with a stern but concerned appearance.

"Everyone! Stay here where it is safe! I'll check it out and report back as soon as possible!" he instructed before abruptly turning and racing down the hallway.

"H-hold on!" Fujisaki squeaked. "Sh-shouldn't we g-go a-after-"

"GHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

As soon at Kyouko heard Naegi's second scream, she rapidly ran after Taka. But she didn't make it even halfway down the hall before a strange sound played over the intercom.

***Ding-Dong-Ding-Dooooooong!***

Kyouko stopped in her tracks and glanced up at a monitor hanging above her, which had suddenly turned on by itself. Narrowing her eyes as Monokuma appeared on screen, it had her complete and utter attention.

Holding a glass of wine, as per usual, the bear's half-grin seemed to widen menacingly as it spoke:

 _**"A body has been discovered! Would every living student please report to the gymnasium! This is a mandatory meeting! Tardiness will** _ **NOT _be allowed!"_**

And with that, the monitors flickered off, most likely leaving the other students in a state of shock. Kyouko's mind; however, began processing the situation at hand.

A body…that meant someone really had fallen to the temptation of murder. The victim was either Sayaka Maizono or Leon Kuwata, but why hadn't one or the other shown up yet? Perhaps they were with Naegi and Taka?

The only thing that remained for them to discover was  _who_  had been the one to give in. Even more terrifying was that, if Monokuma kept his word, the killer had to be one of the students that were currently rushing toward her.  _But which of them..._

"Hey!"

Again, as if it were instinct, she put herself in between the open door and the other students...potentially the killer. She couldn't allow them to mess with the crime scene. "Get outta the way!" Oowada snarled.

"No."

She understood that they wanted to know what was going on and who was dead. They were worried about Naegi, most likely. But Kyouko still remembered what happened to Oowada when he broke a rule, and she wasn't going to let the other students make the same mistake. Plus, Taka was in there, and he would have to handle things.

"No? What the hell do you mean?!" Junko snapped.

"What the hell are you trying to pull?" Oowada shoved his way in front of the group and glared down her, but Kyouko's stern gaze didn't waver. "Move!" he growled, cracking his knuckles.

She'd noticed this habit when the bike gang leader wanted to punch something but knew he shouldn't. That  _was_  a good step for him. It meant he could show restraint. If he couldn't control himself, then he very well could accidentally kill another student. But...his restraint wasn't exactly for the right reasons.

From what she knew of the bike gang leader, Oowada would never, _ever_  stoop so low as to hit a woman; he'd sooner kill himself than send a punch her way. Knowing that, and seeing that he was the one leading the charge of the other students, she figured that opposing him would be the best way to get them all to stop and think properly. After all, she had no idea of what Monokuma considered late.

Behind the agitated biker, the rest of the students looked on with various expressions.

Fukawa and Hina stood close to Sakura, who stood out in front as a way to shield them from potential danger. Junko turned pale while standing beside a horrified Hiro, who seemed to deny that any of this was true. She didn't know if it was to satisfy himself or the shaken fashionista behind him.

Yamada howled in terror, his hands clasped to his face as he shrieked. Behind them, Celeste watched both the scene and her fellow classmates with what could be interesting, except not even the 'Queen of Liars" could stop the few drops of nervous sweat rolling down her forehead.

And last of all was Fujisaki. The petite programmer looked both absolutely horrified and guilty all the same. She stood in the very back, away from any other student. She didn't look at anyone and continued to shift nervously and keep her gaze towards the floor. Kyouko's mind was screaming that this was suspicious, but even she knew Fujisaki wasn't capable of murder. ...That didn't mean that she didn't know anything about this case.

"For now, we need to do as our captor says and report to the gymnasium," she said sternly, her gaze hardening. And, of all of them, the only one able to shake off her glare and speak, was none other than Mondo Oowada.

"Like hell we are!" he barked. He raised his fist, but soon forcibly retracted it. "I'm not going anywhere until I see what happened!"

It wasn't that she didn't want to let him in. As a gang leader, he's probably seen dead bodies and crime scenes before. He was, without a doubt, going to be useful in this situation. But now was not the time to be playing games.

"We all heard that announcement. Remember what happened when Oowada-"

"Who cares!" While her face was still incredibly pale, Junko seemed to be somewhat back to normal. "We need to know what happened to Makoto!"

"J-just N-Naegi?" Fujisaki finally stammered.

Junko's eyes widened, but she didn't reply.

" _Listen_ ," Kyouko said, gaining everyone's attention. Honestly, they were children. "Like it or not, we're the captives here. We  _have_  to do as our captor says. And, well, we've already seen what they're capable of if we don't do as they say." She could hear faint movement behind her, no doubt it was either Naegi waking up or Taka moving his unconscious body.

"I'm afraid I have to agree with Kyouko." The gambler no longer looked shaken, if anything, she looked like nothing had ever been wrong to begin with. "It would be wise to do as that bear says." With a simple smile, she said, "It is all part of adapting to the situation, no? As Kyouko said, we already know the consequences of defying our captor."

She tilted her head slightly, letting her smile widen even more. The way she smiled was kind of unsettling but the logic behind her words was undeniable. Not even she herself could deny the gambler's words.

Celeste let out a soft chuckle.

"Are there no objections?" She paused for a moment but no one dared to speak, not with that intense gaze. After a few more seconds of silence, she smiled at them again, triumphantly. "Alright then, shall we get going?"

_She certainly knows how to play her cards. I'll have to keep a close eye on her._

Confident that Celeste would herd their classmates away, Kyouko turned towards Naegi's room with a sigh.

The instant Kyouko entered the room, a strange and unsettling feeling of calm overtook her being. As if her emotions themselves were shutting themselves off without her permission.

She wanted to ponder the notion of this strange calmness, but she was here for a purpose and she knew that Monokuma wouldn't allow them to take too long. So, pushing away the unsettling calm that now surrounded her, she ventured into the scene.

Her lavender eyes scanned the entirety of the room, aside from the bathroom that was just around the corner. The slashes on floor and walls, the ruffled bedsheets hanging off the bed frame and the empty sword stand overturned. Somehow it all registered to her in an instant. She stopped dead in her tracks as she saw it.

There, leaning face down against Naegi's bed was the body of their classmate Leon Kuwata. The all-star was covered in cuts and bruises. His shirt, which had previously been white, was damp and completely covered in thick pink blood. His, pale blue, eyes were now completely dull, nearly losing all of their color. His mouth was shut, but judging by the sheer amount of blood around his mouth, it had been recent.

Her mind instantly went to the pop idol, but some voice in the back of her head told her to hold off until there's evidence.  _Smart voice._

She moved around the corner, sidestepping Taka and the unconscious 'lucky' student, Kyouko made her way into the bathroom where she saw something she...wasn't expecting.

Her lavender eyes slowly lowered until she saw the figure of Sayaka Maizono, blood staining the walls and her clothes, lying completely lifeless against the back bathroom wall. Upon closer inspection, Kyouko noticed the large kitchen knife protruding from the young girl's stomach.

Kneeling down, Kyouko pressed her gloved fingers against her neck, searching for a pulse. ...Nothing. She waited for a brief moment until she slowly picked up Maizono's limp hand and pressed her fingers to her wrist, just to be safe. ...Nothing was there either.

"..."  _It's possible she killed Kuwata. ...Instigating a fight, it backfires, they both die._

She may not have liked her, but Kyouko never wanted Maizono to die. ...She didn't want any of her classmates to die, and that included Togami.

Without another thought, she moved back to Taka and Naegi.

Her classmate Makoto Naegi was lying on his back, eyes rolled back, mouth hanging open, and drool seeping down his chin. Taka was by the boy's side, gently wiping the tears and drool away with the sleeve of his uniform. It was endearing, to say the least, she wasn't aware those two were so close.

Knowing their time was limited, she made herself known. "Well."

"K-Kirigiri!" he sputtered. Immediately, he leaped to his feet. Glancing at Kuwata's body then the bathroom, to Naegi, and then back her. "A-ah. Kuwata and Maizono are...no longer with us. ...Naegi's alive."

She nodded along with the moral compass who seemed to be feeling guilty. She didn't need to bring up that she saw his chest rising and falling.

 _…Why? Why am I so calm?_  She couldn't help but ponder. Taka's gaze looked so lost, and Naegi must have fainted from the shock. God...How did he feel? Someone as weakminded as him... Seeing Kuwata's body first, then moving to see his dear friend Sayaka's corpse. But how could she not feel anything by it?

"Did you hear the announcement?" He nodded, glancing back to the unconscious Naegi. "You'll have to carry him to the gym; you're stronger than me."

That was more along the lines to boost his morale. It was obvious he'd blamed himself for this whole situation. ...Really, though, Kyouko wasn't weak. She could very well carry Naegi around if she had to.

"Yes... Of course." Within an instant, Taka thrust Naegi over his shoulder and made his way towards the door. "Fear not,  _I_ shall be the one to carry Naegi!" With his eyes narrowed with a newfound determination, obviously trying not to show weakness in front of her, Taka made his way out the door and towards the gym.

Kyouko took one more glance at the trashed room, her eyes lingering on Kuwata's body before she too left the room.

* * *

Everything was going according to plan and Mukuro was more than pleased about that. The failsafe that she and her sister had discussed was going better than she had ever thought.

She was very frustrated with how the game had been proceeding and was more than ready to get the hell out of it. All these strange feeling were really starting to get to her.

She and Junko had practiced some of the lines they were going to be using, but it had been up to Mukuro to get into position on time.

Even knowing that she had more than enough of her work cut out for her, she was eager to be 'killed off', so to speak. Her new task would be to cause havoc and despair behind the scenes. Whatever Junko meant by that, she still wasn't quite sure, but she knew that her sister probably had everything planned out already. After all, her sister had never lied to her before, and she  _is_ the Ultimate Analyst.

And best of all, the first murder had completely enticed Junko, or at least enough for her to forget about the ultimatum she'd placed on her older sister.

So all in all, everything was going according to plan.

_**"As far as class trial rules go, that's all there is to it! Any questions?"** _

All of the students gathered in the gym broke out into a cold sweat as Monokuma finished explaining the class trial rules. Nothing but questions flooded everyone's minds but the answers were clearer than they ever wanted. The rules of the game were now laid bare for all of the students to understand. This was a game shrouded in despair.

Of course, Mukuro knew this, but the other's minds must have been swirling.

"Hey! Hold on just a damn second!" 'Junko' abruptly shouted at Monokuma from the center of the room. "You're freaking insane! You know that?!" She placed a hand on her hip and pointed at the bear.  _This is it._

She began moving into position uttering, "What's this about a class trial? I want nothing to do with that crap!"  _I just have to wait a little longer, then she'll pick me up._

 _ **"Oh?"**_ Monokuma simply turned his head to the side, as if confused by her words.  _ **"Why not?"**_

Just like she had practiced, Mukuro took a step forward and raised her fist towards the bear.  _I just have to attack him. That's it, and then she'll separate me._  "Are you kidding me?" She had to pause at those words. She really didn't mean to say  _that._ She was just so tired of Junko saying the same thing to her that it just slipped.  _I'll have to apologize after._

 ** _"Me?"_**  Monokuma tilted his head again with a chuckle.  _ **"Oh well, why should I be surprised? Bears are excellent comedians, am I right?"**_

"Just  _shut up,_  will you?" She kept walking until she stood at his podium. "Why do I have to waste my time figuring out who murdered Kuwata and Maizono?! It's totally unfair!"

 _ **"Huh?! Are**_ **you _saying you won't participate in the class trial?"_**  he asked, letting out a quiet chuckle.  _ **"Are**_ **you** _ **really so excited to be punished?"**_

"What? What do you mean, punished?!" 'Junko' fired back, taking another step forward. It was happening so fast.  _It'll be in just a moment. Then I can see her again. Then I can apologize for my failure._

_**"Now I am painfully aware of the great power and meaning of a promise... I really, REALLY, wanted to keep a corpse from popping up for no good reason, ya know?"** _

"Say whatever the hell you want!" She shrieked, watching as a glob of spit flew from her mouth. "I am  _not_  going to be a part of this!" Once he jumped down from the podium, Mukuro began moving further into position.  _All I have to do is attack him when he says it. Makoto will be safe. ...She will too._

_**"Upupupu! What a selfish little girl!"** _

For a brief moment, Mukuro faltered. Munokuma's tone was...off. She didn't know what it was, but something in the back of her mind was telling her she needed to run. That voice wasn't usually wrong...  _I have to forget about it. I need to focus on this! That's what she wants._

"You think  _I'm_  selfish?!" For the first time, Mukuro felt a small sliver of satisfaction. Junko was a selfish person (not that she was any better, of course) and everyone who met her knew that. Trying to make Mukuro kill Makoto was an act of pure selfishness, right? She knew how much she loves him!  _But she also loved Matsuda..._

_**"If you want to get out of here…you'll have to go through me first!"** _

Mukuro nearly broke character as Monokuma waddled toward her, swinging his arms in circles, trying to appear menacing. (It was rather cute if she were being honest.) And, conveniently enough, he came to a stop just in front of where she needed to be for her to 'get caught' in the trap door.  _I'm over the trap door! All I need to do is-_

Without any warning, the soldier slammed her foot down on top of Monokuma, taking that final step to be in place for the trap door.

"Are you having fun yet?" Immediately, she knew she shouldn't have said that. Mukuro didn't have any clue as to why she said those words, but she did. She also had no idea what Junko must have been thinking when she uttered those words.  _I need to stick to the script! If I don't then-_

 _**"** **Are** _ **you _?"_**

"Wh-what?" Monokuma's voice had completely changed at this point. While it would be hard for most of the other students to hear it, Mukuro could fully well hear the disappointment and malice in them.

 **_"Violence against Headmaster Monokuma is strictly prohibited."_ ** _H-huh?_

Mukuro froze in sheer terror as the menacing voice of Monokuma invaded her mind. She could practically feel the rage being projected by her sister through the bear himself.

Mukuro felt herself shudder.  _No... She... She wouldn't actually k-k-_

**_"You violated a school regulation…"_ **

She trembled at the bear's new tone. There was malice there, but underneath it all, Mukuro could have sworn that she heard a hint of anguish in the bear's voice as it spoke. It was almost as if Junko had  _just_  now come to this decision. That's what terrified her the most. Then again, her newfound terror could be clouding her judgment.

But then, as quickly as she thought she heard it, that inkling of sadness had vanished completely as Monokuma waved his arms frantically and shouted:

_**"I invoke the magic summon spell! Come to me, Godly Spear Gungnir!"** _

"Watch out!"

* * *

"Hey! Hold on just a damn second!" Junko abruptly shouted at Monokuma from the center of the room. "You're freaking insane! You know that?!"

Naegi, along with the others, turned to the model in shock and utter disbelief. The Fashionista was the  **only one**  who didn't seem to be reeling from the news Monokoma had presented to them, and she was already going on the offensive.

It was almost as if she predicted that something like this would happen. But...that was impossible. ...Wasn't it?

 _ **"Oh?"**_ Monokuma simply turned his head to the side, as if confused by her words.  _ **"Why not?"**_

"Are you kidding me?"

Naegi watched as she stalked towards the robotic bear with determination. While Junko was known to have a loud mouth and speak her mind, this aggressive behavior seemed almost out of character for her.

Why was this girl so different than the one that spent time with him in the Nurse's Office? Why was she so different than when they hung out yesterday? Even though she'd been heartbroken by her motive video, why was she acting like this? What could have changed?

"Just  _shut up,_  will you?"

 _**"Huh?! Are** _ **you _saying you won't participate in the class trial?_** _**Are** _ **you** _**really so excited to be punished?"** _

The second those words left their mouths, Naegi knew there was something going on. Whether it was from Junko's sudden and seemingly desperate attitude change or the tone in Monokuma's voice, he knew there was something more happening.

Not only that, as she continued to fight with the robotic bear, she was steadily moving forward, away from the rest of the students. He noticed her moving closer and closer until she came to a halt in front of the podium. From there, she didn't go any farther. In fact, Monokuma seemed to be approaching her!

 _That's strange. Is Monokuma trying to separate her from us...?_ He briefly glanced at the fashionista, watching her every move.  _That doesn't make any sense. Why would he do that? ...But, then again, why tell Taka that his dad won't tell him where we are?_

"You think  _I'm_  selfish?!"

Naegi's breath hitched in his throat as he felt a wave of terror overtake him. With the way she was acting now, he knew it was only a matter of time before she made a mistake as the one Mondo had…

_Why isn't anyone trying to stop her?!_

He frantically looked at all his classmates for help, but none of them looked willing to do anything. Not even Taka seemed willing to defuse the situation. All of them just watched on, whether it be by fear or curiosity,  _She going to get herself killed, and no one's going to help her!_  That thought along infuriated him.

Junko obviously couldn't control herself right now. She needed to calm down...for someone to calm  _her_ down. Why did it have to be him? Why not Hina or Sakura? Who not the stoic Kirigiri or the fearless Oowada? Why did an average, ordinary, boy have to get in the middle of things? It didn't make any sense! But he knew there was no way he could talk Junko down when she was like this. Besides if he just stayed quiet…

Just then, the images of Kuwata and Sayaka's bloody and bruised bodies flashed in his mind and a wave of guilt suddenly overtook him.

_If I just stand around doing nothing, then how is that any different than what happened to Leon?_

Despite knowing it wasn't his fault, Naegi placed all blame for Leon and Sayaka's death on himself. He kept telling himself that if he had insisted that they stay in the same room or if he'd checked in on her during the night, then maybe…just maybe… ...It was  _his_  room this happened in, not Sayaka's, and not Leon's. Leon somehow managed to convince Sayaka to open her door, and he could  _not_  blame himself for that. 

_And if no one does anything now…will what happened to Sayaka…happen to Junko?_

With that thought, Naegi felt himself begin to move forward. It felt right...it felt natural. Something about going forwards to protect Junko just felt right to him.

Every ounce of fear he had felt was gone.

He strode forwards, moving faster and faster, gliding past his unmoving classmates.

Looking down, he saw that small, square-shaped holes had appeared all around Junko, surrounding her on all sides. They were very obscure as well and Naegi realized that, if he had been only a few feet back, as the other students were, he never would have been able to see them.

_I can still save her!_

* * *

"Watch out!"

Suddenly, she felt a pull on her right arm. It was hard and sudden so, naturally, she yanked her arm forwards. There was something heavy attached to it. She stumbled forward.

Mukuro didn't have time to speak or even react as she finally noticed the slots in the floor that had opened up all around where she had just been standing.

A burst of movement flashed before her and with it came the pressure. It was everywhere. She didn't even notice it at first. It was everywhere, and it was  _hot._  It burned... it seared! Then it all stopped.

…Pain…

It was a feeling that Mukuro had all but forgotten and now felt more than foreign to her. Nevertheless, the agonizing sensation tore through her body as something long and slender pieced through it. Shock overtook the Ultimate Soldier's senses and she slowly turned her dilating eyes to her grief-stricken companion.

Makoto was there. She saw his eyes, the pain. His hand was on hers... It was connected to hers. The spear...

Horror gripped her soul as she saw a long spear jutting up from one of the open slots in the floor, the tip of it piercing the back of her hand and had gone through Makoto's, protruding out the other side.

She glanced down, noticing the same thing on her leg... And... And through her stomach.

"AAARRRRRGGGGAAAAHHHHHH!"

She truly couldn't tell if the noise had come from her, Makoto, or one of the remaining students.

Again, before she even had time to react, the spears abruptly retracted itself, tearing out of their palms, her leg, and stomach with a sickening sound. Bits of bloody flesh and muscle splattered to the floor as their open wounds bled profusely.

Faintly, she heard shrieks from around her, but she couldn't concentrate.

 _Pressure! Keep pressure on wounds!_  She was unable to do anything but panic at the sight of her own blood. She couldn't think straight. Not about anything. ...Not even about her precious Makoto wailing frantically beside her.

There were too many things to deal with! Her stomach... She needed to cover her stomach! And her hand. And the blood. It was her blood. Makoto's blood. ...She was  _bleeding!_  She was wounded.  _What do I do? Junko! What do I do?!_

And then it dawned on her. Makoto was hurt; his hand had a gaping hole in it! He was hurt, and she needed to do something! She needed to save him. She needed-

"W-we need bandages!"

Within that instant, Mukuro was shoved onto the floor. A new pressure covered her wounds, and it was excruciating. She shrieked and tried to move, but she couldn't. She was stuck there no matter how hard she tried. There was too much pain.

"H-here!" She could see the programmer from somewhere behind her, but she had no idea where. It didn't matter. She needed...  _Makoto... Where is he? Why can't I hear him?!_

Mukuro felt herself grow weak. Her eyelids suddenly felt heavy, and she struggled to keep them open. Her breathing slowed and she felt her body grow numb. Her head felt light, but it throbbed painfully. It was exhaustion; that what she felt. Like her body wanted to pass out on her. ...She'd never felt like this before.

"J...ko..."  _H-huh?_

She recognized that voice, but she couldn't... "S...y a...ke..." She knew who it was but she couldn't remember her name. "Ca... y... ...hea... ...e...?" The voice was so calm and soothing. She hadn't heard this tone in a very long time. It made her want to cry. "O... Eyes...!"  _My...eyes?_

Despite her body begging her not to, the Ultimate Soldier forced her eyes open.

"...Mak..." She could hardly speak as she stared at the figure above her.

"G...d. St... ..wi... ...ko..."

She could see a faint glimpse of purple above her, but it was soon overtaken by a bright red glow.

That was Junko coming to get her. Her little sister was coming to get her. She was going to be fine. She just needed to rest for a moment. That's all. She would be fine, and Makoto would be fine. She was going to wake up in Junko's surveillance room.

_I...can't wait._

Everything was going to be okay because she was going to see her little sister again. No Monokuma and no monitors. Just her and Junko. She could take this outfit off, all this make-up, al this everything! She couldn't wait until she could go back to being Mukuro Ikusaba.

"Why..." she gurgled, feeling the blood pooling around her. "Jun..."

Despite it all, Junko planned this. Junko was going to kill her, and it was all because she'd failed her mission. She didn't kill Makoto. ...This wasn't supposed to happen. She was supposed to be captured not killed.

Her eyes drifted towards the robotic bear, who appeared to be shaking with laughter.

_...Why Junko? WHY?!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starting this story, I said I would never have a chapter over 6k and have a 2k words minimum. That was a nice round number, not too long or short. So what do I do? Immediately post an over 8k piece as the third chapter. (Not that I have a problem for longer chapters. I have stories planned with chapters well over 12k) But I decided to bump the maximum to 10k. This chapter alone is over 6k words, and this was the best place I could find to cut it off without it being weird.


	7. Chapter I: Harsh Reality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mukuro gets a dose of reality

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been really swamped lately, not leaving me a lot of time to finish this chapter. Life decided they wanted to kick my ass, so everything after "Now then, I think I might give you a chance to redeem yourself." is written by MonoMelon. (I really appreciate your help!)

**{Chapter I: Harsh Reality}**

"FUCK!"

Junko Enoshima wanted to smash the monitor in front of her. There was no way that had just happened. Not only did Mukuro  _survive_  her attack, but the other students were fucking  _fixing_  her!

"She survived! She really fucking survived! I knew I should have done it a different way!" she screeched, nearly destroying the Monokuma plush in her arms. "Of course the  _one_ time I go to kill her for real..."

The analyst let out a ragged breath and rubbed her temples.  _Fuck me... Fuck ME!_

"No," she grumbled, sending a harsh glare towards the screen. "I can work with this... I can make this work."  _Can I really?_ "I just need to change the script... What a pain!"  _She'll pay for this!_

The despair of having to swallow the disappointment of failing to kill her sister was more than enough of a reward. Besides, her sister being alive could still be despairingly useful. ...But only to cause more despair of course. Mukuro was dead to her now.

* * *

Sakura was absolutely horrified by the scene unfolding in front of her.

Junko had attacked Monokuma, resulting in both her and her classmate Makoto Naegi to be shot through their hands with a spear. Even more horrifying was the spears that went through the fashionista's leg and stomach.

Sakura had only a little bit of medical knowledge from her various battles, but even she knew if those spears were to be removed, then Junko very well could bleed-

"AAARRRRRGGGGAAAAHHHHHH!"

A pained scream came from both students as the slender spears swiftly retracted from their flesh, returning back into the floor with a sickening thud. Naegi reeled his hand back from the force, but he could only stand there and stare at the gaping wound. Thankfully, Hina was quick to react, using her own hands to cover his wound.

"W-we need bandages!" She cried when his bleeding wouldn't stop. "You'll be fine, Naegi," Hina assured, squeezing his shoulder.

"H-here!" Fujisaki offered a small handkerchief from her pocket. "I-it's not much, b-but it'll help!" And it wasn't much, but it would be enough to slow the bleeding until they were able to properly treat it.

"We'll need more!"

The martial artist turned towards Kirigiri, who had pinned Junko to the ground, trying to cover the girl's wounds, with her gloved hands, as much as possible. The sight of it made her falter. Kirigiri was a quiet individual who seemed to prefer to spend her time alone, or simply observe the others. She was one of the last people she'd expect to jump into action, especially for a student as abrasive as Junko. Even then, the action had impressed her.

"Here!" Grabbing a fistful of her own shirt, Sakura ripped off a large portion, then tore them into strips. "Use this!"

Sakura could only watch as Kirigiri and Hina, who moved on from Naegi to help, took the items and pressed it to Junko's various wounds, not that it did much to stop the bleeding.

_**"Upupuupup! This is great!"** _

She sent Monokuma the harshest glare she could. Despite her hatred for him...she couldn't help but feel at fault for all this.

Last night, before her sleepover with Hina, Monokuma had appeared to her.

* * *

(Last night, approximately 9:00 PM)

"You would like me to…sleepover?" she asked carefully, unsure if she had heard correctly.

Nervously fidgeting with her hands, Aoi Asahina slowly nodded her head. "Yeah! I-I mean, don't feel pressured to or anything! I just…I just thought it would be nice to, you know, hang out for a while? Like...maybe tonight?"

"Are you afraid, Hina?"

"W-well..."

Sakura was tempted to frown as she watched the only friend she had here desperately trying to hide how nervous she was.

Hina was bluntly obvious about everything and always spoke her mind, so when she was trying to cover up her own anxiety, it showed through even more; however, Sakura knew the source of her anxiety and therefore decided to consent to her request. Besides, Hina would never give in to temptation and murder anyone. She was far too good of a person for something like that.

"Very well. Let me get a few things from my room and I'll be right over."

"Really?!" Hina's face lit up with absolute excitement and she had to stop herself from jumping with joy as she replied, "All right, cool! I'm gonna go get some donuts from the kitchen, then I'll meet you back at my room then. Just knock and tell me it's you and I'll let you right in!"

With a spring in her step, Hina bounded off down the hall toward her room.

_I'm grateful to have such a kind friend._

Opening the door to her room and shutting it promptly, Sakura was about to pull open her closet when a deplorable voice called out to her.

_**"Upupupu...! Are we finally planning a murder?"** _

Instantly on guard, Sakura spun around and took on an aggressive fighting stance before glaring furiously at the source of the voice.

"Monokuma!" she snarled. "What are you doing in my room?!"

_**"Me? Am I not allowed to visit my students?"** _

"I do not want to play your games. Tell me, why are you in my room!"

 _ **"Does no one here love me?"**_ he sighed, taking a seat on  _her_  bed.  _ **"All of my precious students are so torn up about my Motive Videos!"**_

At the mention of the videos, the Ultimate Martial Artist flinched, recalling her own DVD. She stood up straight and folded her arms menacingly, ready to resume her stance and battle at any given moment. She would take no chances with such a dangerous foe.

"Is that why you're here," she seethed. "To taunt me?" She wasn't going to attack. ...Not yet, not if he was only going to taunt her.

 _ **"Certainly not!"**_ He immediately lept into a standing position and waved his arms around frantically.  _ **"I just wanted to see how my students are doing! And...you're one of my favorites. Did you know that?"** Is that supposed to make me trust him?_

"None of the others mentioned you talking to them."

 _ **"Why would they?"**_ He tilted his head before continuing.  _ **"Forget about them! I came here because there's something I wanted to tell you."**_

She knew she shouldn't want to hear anything Monokuma had to say. But Monokuma had purposefully gone out of his way to see her, so she doubted the person controlling him would let her go so easily.

Lowering her head, Sakura sighed, "What is it you wanted to tell me?"

**_"Weeeell... You know, those images in the Motive Videos are very special. I had to work really,_ really  _hard to make them happen."_**

"What is your point!?" she snapped!  _Calm down! ...You cannot express your anger in front of him. He isn't worth it._

 _ **"I just thought, since you are my favorite student, you'd want to know that those Motive Videos are real!"**_ Putting its paws on its sides, Monokuma boldly proclaimed,  _ **"Those images of your family's sacred dojo? Those are all the real deal! Upupupu..."**_

"Y-you..."

_**"And as of right now, I am the dojo's rightful owner! Aren't you just so lucky that such a kind  and loving bear is in charge?"** _

"You bastard!" Slamming her fist into the wall, indenting the metal hidden beneath the sheetrock, Sakura gritted her teeth and seethed.

That dojo was sacred! It was such an important part of her family's history... How could Monokuma have possibly gotten ownership of her dojo? Her father should have ownership if anything were to happen to her, and if he was defeated, her beloved Kenishiro should have had the rights.

_He couldn't have defeated Kenishiro. I refuse to believe that!_

_**"Oh, there's no need to get mad!"**_ He waved his black paw in a circular motion.  _ **"Because there's something else I want to tell you."**_

"What is it?!" she snarled.

_**"I don't need that crappy old building. (You think it would look better with all my renovations...) So I've decided to give that shitty dojo back to you. Don't you think I'm such a good Headmaster?"** _

For a moment, Sakura couldn't believe what she was hearing. Then again, she really shouldn't believe anything this bear told to her, but this was the most unbelievable yet! Even so, she couldn't deny the hint of relief that came with this sudden offer.  _Even if there is just a slim chance..._

"What do I have to do in exchange?"  _I have to take it. My family's honor depends on it!_

 _ **"I..."**_ He trailed off, his expression turning into one of surprise.  _ **"I gonna be honest here. I did**_ **not _expect you to give in so easily-"_**

"My patience wears thin."

 _ **"Of course."**_ The bear straightened up on the edge of her head.  _ **"I'd like to make a deal."**_

"What kind of deal?"  _Nothing good can come of this._

Her worst fears were confirmed as Monokuma reared his head back and laughed maniacally,  _ **"Upupupupupupu! What have I been asking of all of you since this little game began? Go ahead, take a wild guess!"**_

She tore her gaze away from the bear as the realization kicked in.

"You...want me to kill one of my classmates."

 _ **"Weeeeeeeell, that's *not* exactly it, but that just may be necessary later on."**  _ _What?_

"But..." She was completely shocked by that answer, so much so that she could hardly speak. "But that's the one thing you've asked us all to do since we've woken up here."

Monokuma shrugged.  _ **"That's not really true, now is it? I did say you all could live here in peace, and you still can. I simply offered murder as a way to leave."**_

Sakura felt her rage returning at how the bear was twisting the facts. She wanted to question why the robot kept taunting them if that's all he really wanted, but Sakura knew she had to focus on the situation at hand.

"So then, what is it that you want me to do then? Just live in peace with my fellow students?" she finally asked, still not believing the bear.

_**"Yes."** _

"...What?" There was no way he just answered to plainly, and even more horrifying, he sounded so truthful. There wasn't an ounce of hesitation in his voice.  _What is he planning?_

 _**"That's exactly what I want! Only, I want to hear** _ **everything** _**after!"** _

"In other words..." she murmured. "You want me to spy on all my classmates and report back to you? That's all?"

**_"Exactly."_ **

"And you expect me to do this for you? To betray my classmates... Just to have my family's dojo returned to me?"

 _ **"As your lovable Headmaster, I did some background digging on all of you. And you want to know what I've learned about you? Upupupu! You're such an honorable person! So honorable it makes me sick!"**_ he cackled.  _ **"I know you'll do this!"**_

The Oogami Family Dojo was an ancient and honorable place. And while serving as the current head of her family, it was her responsibility to protect and serve it. Many before her had fought and died to protect it. And no matter how much it hurt her to admit, as a member of the Oogami Family, it was her duty to reclaim ownership of it…no matter the cost.

 _ **"Well, do we have a deal?"**_  When she didn't answer, he continued,  _ **"Hey!** **I don't have all day!"**_  the bear protested, waving his hand enthusiastically.  _ **"If you don't give me an answer, I'll burn the damn dojo to the ground!"**_

_It must be done._

Gritting her teeth and tensing, Sakura extended her hand and grabbed the paw, squeezing so tight she felt the metal inside bend. With a firm jerk, they shook hands, not letting the other's gaze leave.

"Know this," she grumbled, looking directly into the bear's eyes. "I only do this out of obligation. If you expect me to enjoy being any part of this…thing you've created, you are sorely mistaken."

With a nod, the bear turned, only stopping to say one last thing.

 _ **"Oh, and by the way..."**_ The bear's voice had shifted into a far more sinister one.  _ **"**_ _ **If no one dies within the next 24 hours...then you can consider out deal done."**_

* * *

This had all been her fault. She was going to kill her dear friend Hina during their sleepover, but after arriving at her room...she couldn't go through with it.

Hina had been her friend throughout all of this. She was the only one of her classmates to not look at her with fear. She was the only one who actively wanted to spend time with her. When Sakura saw how vulnerable she was...there was no way she could have ever betrayed her dear friend.

Thus so, Sakura knew she was disgracing her family's name by doing this, but she truly believed her father would understand her plight. And Sakura had been prepared for Monokuma's retaliation, but this is not what she wanted.

And now, two innocent children had to suffer from her own failures. What type of leader was she?

 _**"Well isn't this just a treat? Now,** _ **this _is what happens if you break the rules... Upupuupupupu!"_**

_Liar!_

She knew this situation was because of her, and nothing could convince her otherwise.  _Makoto...Junko... I am truly sorry. I will find a way to atone for this!_

 _ **"Now, with that in mind, we can finally begin!"**_ he said, earning everyone's glares.  _ **"There will be a limited investigation period in which you losers find the Blackened! After that, we'll all meet in the elevator; that is a MANDATORY meeting! Unless, of course, you want to play with my little friend here."**_

Not a single one of them dared to speak up.

 _**"Since there are no objections, you all can start** _ _**-"** _

* * *

"No." Kyouko kept her voice cold as she spoke to both her classmates and Monokuma. Beneath her was Junko Enoshima's bloodied unconscious body. Thanks to their makeshift bandages, they had been able to stop a majority of her bleeding, but that didn't mean she was safe.

 _ **"No? You're not gonna participate?"**_ Monokuma tilted his head.  _ **"You want punishment too? Then I can certainly arrange-"**_

"I never said I wouldn't participate." Sending the harshest glare she could muster, Kyouko turned towards the bear. "We  _will_ investigate Kuwata and Maizono's murder, but Junko and Naegi need medical treatment. Now."

"Kirigiri's right!" Hina exclaimed from beside the shocked lucky student. "Especially Junko!"

 _ **"Whaaaaat?!"**_ Monokuma's face turned bright red as he addressed them.  _ **"There is only a limited amount of time to investigate! Do you think I'm going to let you bastards-"**_

"Then at least allow us some time to give them proper medical treatment," Sakura added.

_Hmm..._

There was a strange glint in Sakura's gaze. To her, it seemed like guilt, but she had no reason to be guilty. As much as she wanted to keep thinking about it, she knew she had to focus on the situation at hand.

_**"Junko was a very naughty student, she needed to be punished! She broke the rules! Do you-"** _

"But you acknowledge that Naegi didn't break any rules."

_**"..."** _

"You unfairly punished one of your 'precious' students. You broke your own rules. How do you expect us to take you seriously when you can't even-"

 _ **"...Normally, I'd need to finish the job and complete the punishment."**_ This was a tone she'd never heard before. He was absolutely furious with her bluntness as if he'd never expected any of the students to bring that fact up.  _ **"But, just this ONE time, I'll let it slide. I** **hope that now you see just how serious I am about those regulations. Defy me again and you get shot full of holes! Exploded! Buried alive! Disintegrated…etc! So, if you don't want that to happen to you, you'd better follow the rules…"**_

"D-does that mean we c-can treat them?" Fujisaki hesitantly asked.

Monokuma stared at the programmer for a few long moments before slowly answering.

 _ **"...I'll give you a ten-minute headstart. Did you HEAR that!"**_ he snapped.  _ **"That's it! TEN minutes, no more or less than that! Then you losers have to start investigating!"**_

"Of course," Kyouko answered, keeping her voice dangerously low. "We wouldn't have done anything otherwise."

_**"I don't understand where all this disobedience is coming from!"** _

"And besides, if one of us isn't able to participate in the Class Trial, won't that technically be a violation of the school regulations? And since you wanted to refuse to allow her treatment, the fault would lie solely with you."

 _ **"Alright, alright! Fifteen minutes! And**_ **t** **hat's _IT!"_** With a frustrated shriek, the bear disappeared, leaving behind a group of horrified students.

"W-well, n-now what?" Kyouko, along with everyone else, turned towards the romance novelist.

"What do you mean?" The Ultimate Swimmer spat from the opposite side of Junko's unconscious body. "Obviously, we take them to the Nurse's Office and then-"

"Then what?" Ignoring Togami, Kyouko placed her hands back over Junko's, still bleeding, stomach wound.  _She won't last too much longer._ "None of us here have any medical experiences, or at least, ones that will save that moron's life. Naegi's hand will most likely be useless from now on," he sneered. "I told you that room's more trouble than it's worth."

"Show some respect," Sakura scolded, crossing her arms.

"But he does have a point," Celeste added. "Especially for Makoto, who had been there multiple times."  _For the same hand too..._

"Why does that matter?" Hina countered.

"Who gives a shit!?" Oowada bellowed from the center of the room. "What are we standing around for? The two are bleeding to death! What are we arguing for?!" Before anyone could speak, Oowada pushed his way toward the injured Fashionista and wrapped his arms around her to pick her up. "I'll take her there, but I'm no good at playing doctor."

"Th-that's f-fine." She was shocked to hear Naegi finally speak. His voice was raspy and quiet, no doubt it was from the shock and trauma of being impaled.

"Naegi?" Asahina approached the shorter male, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Can you walk?"

He nodded, not really looking in any direction. "Y-yeah."

"C'mon, I'll walk you."

* * *

_Ugh..._

When Mukuro finally woke up, she instantly recognized the Nurse's Office. Memories of earlier events flooded her mind as she forced herself up. Ignoring the burning pain shooting throughout her body, the Ultimate Soldier glanced around for anything to ground herself with.  _I..._

That was the first time she'd ever been seriously injured; she thought she was dying. ...But here she was, sitting in the infirmary of Hope's Peak Academy, still alive.  _How..._

She stared blankly at the floor, her mind unable to comprehend how everything had come to this.

Her darling little sister had just tried to kill her.  _That wasn't part of the script!_  She was supposed to fall through the floor and into a makeshift 'prison' and cause despair from then on. So she couldn't understand why Junko had done this. Didn't she love her?

Glancing down, Mukuro winced at the sight of the bandages. She knew how the only bandages in the school were the Monokuma Bandages, which had the sinister bear's face stitched into every few inches of the cloth. Just about everything in this school was Monokuma themed, she didn't even want to  _think_  about the trophy room.

The very image of that bear sent chills down her spine. She shouldn't be scared of Monokuma. Mukuro Ikusaba was the Ultimate Soldier, a mercenary, being scared of something so minuscule was... She needed to get over it!

"Ugh...!" she grunted as she gripped the wrist of her injured hand. Very carefully, Mukuro flexed and retracted each finger on her hand, and each time, a sharp jolt of pain surged through her entire arm. "That's...not good." _That means there's nerve damage._ How bad, she didn't know, but she did know that it needed actual medical attention or it wouldn't heal properly.

Further down, she could see the bandages wrapped around her leg. And, now that she was thinking about it, she felt the bandages around her stomach too. Just how bad did Junko hurt her?

Suddenly, a familiar voice practically shook the room.

 _ **"You know they reached for my precious student's clothes. I had to tell them Aaaaaall about how**_ **not _to feel up an unconscious classmate. This *isn't* an adult game! Upupupuu..."_** It started out as Monokuma's voice, but as it continued, her sister's voice came through more and more.

The bear was sitting casually, like nothing had ever happened, on the bed directly across from her.

"...Why-"

 _**"As the Headmaster, I had to keep order and conduct. There was no way I could ever allow illicit sexual relationships to go on in my school! I** _ **did** _**tell them that physical education classes were allowed."** _

"Junko!"

 _ **"Junko?"**_ Monokuma asked, tilting his head.  _ **"I don't know any "Junko" but I can 100% tell you that I am Headmaster Monokuma!"**_

It looked just like the Monokuma that was in the gym, but she knew this was a different Monokuma-  _I need to focus!_

"...No more jokes, Junko. Why did you try and kill me?!"

Despite her loud volume, her sister didn't reprimand her. And if she wasn't upset that she had spoken her name aloud, then it meant that Junko was certain they weren't being overheard. Which was both a blessing and a curse for the injured soldier.

"I did everything I was supposed to! I followed through with the failsafe, I did  _everything_ you told me to do! Why did you do it? Was my acting wrong? Did I-"

 _ **"I wonder if you did do everything I asked?"**_ The bear let out a long sigh before continuing.  ** _"There_ was  _something I asked you to do, you know."_** By now, Monokuma's voice had been completely replaced by Junko's.  _ **"Go on, let me hear you say it."**_

"...You're talking about Makoto."

_**"Thaaat's right!"** _

Of course, it all came back to Makoto. She knew she should have gone through with it before, but he just looked so innocent! She'd killed countless people before, so it shouldn't have been an issue.

 _**"You know, I should have known better. Someone as dumb as you shouldn't have gotten so much freedom. So, with a heavy heart,** _ **I _will take responsibility for this."_** _...What?_

"Junko, what are you talking about?"

 _ **"Ugh!"**_ The bear lowered his head.  _ **"You. Y.O.U played me last night! Did you think I wouldn't notice? I**_ **watched _you almost all night long. I even waited for you this morning to get the job done. Because I know how good you are at killing people."_** He lifted his head to look at her, his eye was starting to glow.  _ **"I saw you meet with him last night!"**_

_Shit!_

"...He was crying! And I did mean to do it, but..." She'd briefly met up with Makoto not too long before the nighttime announcement. She had every intention of slitting his throat, but her earlier words popped into her head. "I just-"

 _**"It's fine, I'm glad you didn't kill him."** _ _...What?!_

The Ultimate Soldier froze as her sister's words invaded her mind. Surprise warped her features and she could only stare at the bear as her sister continued.

 _**"You were rushing. It would have been a sloppy job.** **Even if you**_ **h** **ad** **_killed him, there would have been no way for you to cover it up. I'm sure you would have thought of_ something _but_** _**I doubt it would have ended well for you. And if you got voted for in a Class Trial… Well, let's just say I can't save you then."** _

"W-Wait…what?" Mukuro managed to choke out, her face blanching. "You…You mean that…"

So not only did Junko plan to kill her during the failsafe, she was completely going back on what she'd told her before they went through with the killing game.  _I-I can't believe this!_

 ** _"Did you think you would be exempt from the Class Trials, Mukuro?"_** _She's even calling me by my actual name..._ ** _"Did you really_** ** _plan to kill 'Makoto' without even thinking of a way to cover it up?"_  **Junko asked through the bear, her voice sounding disappointed.

"H-hold on! Junko, I don't understand-"

 _ **"You keep talking about this Junko person. I've never heard of this mystery person. I am Monokuma, this school's Headmaster! You must be a big disappointment if you can't even remember that! Not even just as a person, but a disappointment of a sister too!"**_ he roared, lifting his arms up.  _ **"A big fat, ugly, dumb, disappointment! It's absolutely un~bear~able!"**_

"Um..."  _I really did make her mad this time... But... But she did try to kill me. I can't let myself forget about that!_ "Can we go back to the gym? If you're not mad, then why did you-"

 _ **"Not mad?! How could I be NOT MAD!? I gave you a time limit, missy!"**_ He hopped off the bed and waddled towards her, but he was too short to pull himself up.  _ **"I *huff* am furious! It was such an easy job! How could you have failed?"**_

"..."

 _ **"So now we're not talking, huh? Well, fine then."**_ Monokuma's voice faded out and her sister's voice suddenly came back, but it sounded way more intense than before. _ **"You want to know**_ **why** _ **I tried to kill you? Do you want to know soooooooo bad? It's because you broke the rules, you stupid bitch!"**_

Pure rage exploded from Junko's voice as she shouted at her sister and the instant she heard it, Mukuro's entire body trembled. This was the second time she'd ever seen her sister display such anger. This was just as bad as the aftermath of Matsuda. ...Nothing good was going to come of this.

 _ **"Do you know how many times I had to explain it to you dumbass!? I told you over and over and over again! Don't break the**_ **FUCKING _rules!"_** By now, Monokuma's face was entirely red; it even looked the bear was sweating.  _ **"I**_ **have** _ **to enforce the rules here, I am the Headmaster!** **So what did you go and do? You attacked Monokuma in front of**_ **everyone** _ **! How the hell did you think I was gonna respond to that?! If I didn't punish you, then everyone would have known something was up! Did you forget I let Oowada's punishment go?!"**_

The mercenary glanced away. She knew she really fucked up this time.

 _**"You say that** _ **I** _**lied to you?! No! You brought this on yourself for being such a fuck up! You can** _ **barely** _**act the part of being me, despite how long I practiced with you! And then you go and pull this! Can't you ever just listen for once?!"** _

"B-but you said I was doing passable..."

 _ **"Yeah, during the**_ **Motive Video! _You didn't think I actually meant that?"_** she groaned.  ** _"You even had experience during my nightmare and you still managed to be a fuck up! ...Such a waste of space, honestly. I honestly don't know what to do with you."_**

Mukuro knew there was no talking down her sister now. Out of everything that had ever happened to her, Mukuro knew that for a fact. She was going to get what was coming to her, one way or the other. But she had to do something!

"But what about the dead students? Kuwata and Maizono? Wasn't that enough to appease you?"

_**"That doesn't matter! I gave you a mission! A mission that you FAILED! I'm beyond angry. I don't even want to look at you anymore!"** _

For a moment, there was a heavy silence between the sisters, only the sounds of their breathing echoed as the pair stared each other down. Deep down, Mukuro felt something within her shift around, threatening to consume her. Was this what despair was supposed to feel like? Was this really how Junko felt all the time?  _How could she enjoy this?_

_**"Now then, I think I might give you a chance to redeem yourself, since I am a loving Headmaster."** _

"R-really?" The bear nodded, placing his paws behind his back.

 _ **"Yes. Under no circumstances are you allowed to fuck this up!"**_ When she didn't answer, Junko continued.  _ **"Makoto is on his way over to check on you. You can do it now and I**_ **might _do a small cover-up, nothing special-"_**

"No." For once, she felt confident in opposing her sister.

 _ **"...No?"**_ The robotic bear went silent for a moment.  _ **"..."**_

As far as Mukuro was concerned, her mission was done. Layered with the fact that Junko had both lied  _and_ planned to kill her made her feel even better about defying her sister at this moment. Not that she didn't feel any fear; she was _horrified_. Monokuma... _Junko_ absolutely terrified her. She was the one person she knew she could count on for her entire life, and now she was losing her!

And then, the sound of very heavy breathing came from Monokuma, and, for a moment, Mukuro hoped that her sister had finally settled down. But that was in vain, as when her sister's voice came back, it was even more menacing than before.

 _ **"You know, I really didn't want to have to do this. You were my only sister, after all."**  _Junko said this very slow and smooth, Mukuro could even hint of Monokuma in her voice.  _ **"It seems that I'm going to have to complete your punishment after all. And I've prepared a very**_ **special** _ **punishment."**_

Mukuro's entire body froze, her breath hitched in her throat as her fate instantly became clear to her. Her eyes widened and she clutched her hand close to her chest, pressing herself as far as she could against the wall.

"N-no Junko! ...I-I can do it another way! I can... I can-"

 _ **"I don't want to hear another word out of you!"**_ Without any sort of warning, Monokuma finally managed to leap onto the bed, landing directly in front of Mukuro. ...She could feel Junko's hatred from here.  _ **"For being such a disappointment... For betraying the Ultimate Despair...**_

"I-I'm not a traitor!" Why?! Why was this happening?!

 _ **"My special punishment for Mukuro Ikusaba, the Ultimate Soldier is..."**_ It was all Monokuma now, there was no more Junko.  _ **"Upupupupu! Your punishment is to live out the rest of your miserable life in this Killing Game as Junko Enoshima!"**_

"H-huh?!"  _She can't be serious! She... She wouldn't do this to me! She can't!_

 _ **"Upupupu...! This is the perfect punishment for someone like you!"**_ The bear sat down with a laugh.  _ **"It really is sad, isn't it? That one of my precious students doesn't have a brain. But you don't have to worry; you get to live the rest of your 'life' as the greatest person to ever live!"**_

This wasn't happening. It just wasn't! From the way Monokuma spoke, it sounded like Junko _wanted_ to get rid of her. That wasn't true, though. Junko loved her... She  _needed_ her! Junko wouldn't just...throw her away! She wasn't...expendable...

 _ **"This is much better than plain old death!"**_ he cackled.  _ **"You'll never last! Upupupupu! If you think for a second that I'm gonna let this moment go to waste, then you really**_ **are _stupid!_** **"** Turning away from the startled soldier, the bear glanced over his shoulder and finished,  ** _"Good luck in the_** ** _-"_**

The bear went silent and completely stopped moving.  _What's happening? Did she change her mind?!_

_**"Ugh! We're gonna have to cut this conversation short. I really,**_ **really** _**didn't want to talk to you again, but it seems I don't really have a choice; he got here faster than I expected."** _

"W-wait! I don't understand what you're s-"

 _ **"You never do,"**_ he sighed, leaping off of her bed.  _ **"I'll talk to you later, you**_ **better _not tell anyone about our little chat! If you do...then I may actually have to kill you."_**

"...Junko-"

 _**"Don't... Don't** _ **ever _call me that again! From now on, I am Headmaster Monokuma!"_**

With that...Monokuma was gone.

For a while, the only thing ~~Mukuro Ikusaba~~  Junko Enoshima could do was stare at the wall across from her. She couldn't bring herself to believe what had just happened, even though she knew it had been real. How was she supposed to believe that Junko wanted to get rid of her? How was she supposed to know how angry her sister really was? It all happened too fast!

_She's tried to kill me before..._

And that was true. Junko did love her, and so, often tried to kill her. But the difference before then and now was that before, Junko would go straight after her. She was lazy, not putting a lot of effort into actually attacking her. Often times, she would use an object close to her person, most likely hoping Mukuro's abilities would fail. (They never did.) But this time... This time, Junko was quiet. She'd planned out her murder and probably had before the Killing Game had even started.  _And the Class Trials..._  Junko probably expected her to fuck up a kill and get executed.

_She needs me..._

Mukuro knew she didn't, but after all this time, after all those people she'd killed, after becoming this... ...How could she ever possibly believe that?

_Doesn't she love me anymore?_

"...Junko?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mukuro and Junko had to separate. In order for the things I have planned later to work, there is no way she could keep working for Junko 24/7. I didn't know how I was going to do it, but MonoMelon was the one to come up this particular route. (This deviated from my original plans for the Junko/Mukuro split up, but I think it works better for the endgame.)


	8. Chapter I: The Investigation Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The investigation for the murder of Sayaka Maizono and Leon Kuwata begin.

**{Chapter I: The Investigation Part One}**

**Rules and Regulations!**

**Rule #1:**  Students may reside only within the school. Leaving campus is an unacceptable use of time.

 **Rule #2:**  "Nighttime" is from 10:00 pm to 7:00 am. Some areas are off-limits at night, like the cafeteria, so please exercise caution!

 **Rule #3:**  Sleeping anywhere other than the dormitory will be seen as sleeping in class and you will be punished accordingly.

 **Rule #4:**  With minimal restrictions, you are free to explore Hope's Peak Academy at your discretion.

 **Rule #5:**  Violence against headmaster Monokuma is strictly prohibited, as is the destruction of surveillance cameras.

 **Rule #6:**  Anyone who kills a fellow student and becomes the "blackened" will graduate unless they are discovered.

 **Rule #7:** Once a murder takes place, a class trial will begin shortly thereafter. Participation is mandatory for all surviving students.

 **Rule #8:**  If the guilty party is exposed during the class trial, they alone will be executed.

 **Rule #9:**  If the guilty party is not exposed, they alone will graduate, and all remaining students will be executed.

 **Rule #10:**  The guilty party may only kill a maximum of two people during any single "Killing Game."

 **Rule #11:** Additional school regulations may be added if necessary.

Naegi couldn't help but glare his ElectroID as a new file popped up. He'd already known how malicious the bear was, but this was on an entirely different level.

His friends Leon Kuwata and Sayaka Maizono were laying dead in his dorm room. His other friend, Junko Enoshima, was currently unconscious in the Nurse's Office. But through all of that, it was the next thing that popped up that bothered him.

**Victim- Sayaka Maizono, the Ultimate Pop Idol!**

**"The time of death was around 1:30 AM."**

**"The body was found in Makoto Naegi's private room inside his bathroom."**

**"Cause of death is a wound to the stomach area made by a sharp object."**

**"Other than that, there are traces of a blow to her right wrist. In addition to the traces, her right wrist's bone is broken."**

**Victim- Leon Kuwata, the Ultimate Allstar!**

**"The time of death was around 2:00 AM."**

**"The body was found in Makoto Naegi's private room inside his bedroom."**

**"Cause of death is bloodloss."**

**"Other than that, there is a stab wound in his stomach and severe bruising around his arms** **. There are multiple cuts trailing along his wrists and upper arms."**

"This is sick!"

Just last night Sayaka and Kuwata had been alive and well. They talked to him, they laughed with each other, and they were  **both fine**! It was hard to believe that both of them were now gone. ...It was even harder to believe that one of them could have possibly killed them.

"But I have to investigate. ...I have to find out who did this to them!"

With a sigh, Naegi entered his room, taking in all the damage.

_Who would do something like this?_

Sakura and Oowada stood on either side of the room, with Oowada being closer to Kuwata's...corpse.

_...Where do I even begin?_

"Hey Sakura?" he asked, earning the Martial Artist's attention. "Can I talk to you?"

"Hello, Naegi." She peered down at him and crossed her massive arms. "Does your hand feel any batter, if I may ask?"

"It's..." His hand did hurt...a lot. Any time he moved his arm too fast, or even moved one of his fingers, a sharp burning pain shot up his arm.  _It's nothing compared to what Junko's going through._ "It'll heal. ...But I have to ask, do you think I did *it* too?"

After Hina and the others rushed him and Junko to the Nurse's Office, Celeste 'kindly' pointed out that the murders had happened in his room. This sent almost everyone into a blind panic about whether or not he was the killer, which he thought was messed up! There was no way he'd kill Sayaka or even Kuwata! He would never kill one of his friends!

"I try not to make assumptions like that," she said, turning slightly away from him. "I simply do not know whether or not you committed this heinous act. Whatever decision the others come up with, I will follow their lead."  _Oh... But most of the others think I_  did _do it._ "But do not fret. You have given me no reason to take action against you, not that I would with you being injured."

"I see... Thank you, Sakura."

He let out a sigh as he backed away from the large female.  _She suspects me too, that's why she wouldn't look at me. ...At least she's willing to be open with me._

Without knowing what to do next, his eyes drifted over to Kirigiri who was crouched beside his bathroom door.  _Maybe she lost something?_

Just as he was about to go ask her, Oowada called out to him. "Hey, Naegi!"  _Huh?_

"Hi...Oowada." He didn't want to be over here. He didn't want to be this close to a dead body, this close to his classmate's body, to someone he once considered a friend. ...Not when he was so bruised and bloody. "What's going on? Did you find anything out?"

"Ya know, I realized somethin' while I was on guard duty," he replied, rubbing the back of his head.

"You did?"  _I wonder what it was?_

"Somebody could have already destroyed some evidence, right? Before anyone found the bodies, I mean. There's a  **trash room** here in the dorms. They coulda tossed some stuff in the incinerator before all this stuff happened."

"Y-Yeah, that's definitely a possibility."  _A trash room, huh?_

Naegi had heard about the trash room before, back when he and...Sayaka was exploring the school for the first time. They'd run into Yamada, who said he was putting himself in charge of trash duty. I mean, it was a little weird that he seemed so...excited about it, but Naegi was more than willing to let him handle it.  _I'll have to talk to him after I'm done in here._

"That dirty bastard!"  _H-huh?!_ "Anyone who raises their hand to a woman deserves death! That's what my brother taught me! ...And then they went after someone as weak as Kuwata too!"  _...Maybe death is going a little too far. But Kuwata being weak? ...He was an all-star._ "So when I find the fucker who did this, I'll pound his fuckin' face in!"  _Ah but..._

"But what if it's a girl who did this?"

"..." Looking more serious than ever before, he replied, "I'll cross that bridge when I come to it."  _...Will you really?_

"So..." Thinking back on it now, Oowada seemed to be talking to him normally. ...Well, as normal as you could get with Oowada. Pretty much everyone else either wouldn't talk to him, or settled with glares. ...Even Sakura couldn't look him in the eyes. "Do you think I did it?"

"Huh?" The look on the biker's face was one of complete shock. It was as if Naegi had just suggested the sky was red instead of blue. "Don't be ridiculous. Someone as weak as you couldn't pull this type of shit off. Trust me, kid, I've seen enough of this shit to know who could and couldn't pull this off."

"Then do you know who might've done this?"

"Well," he muttered, rubbing the back of his head. "I know you didn't do it, Fujisaki didn't to it, that Fukawa girl couldn't have done it, and I didn't fuckin' do it!" He straightened up, cracking his back in the process, as he glanced in Kirigiri's direction. "That one has some balls, standing up to me like that!"  _...When did she do that? Kirigiri doesn't seem like the type of person to start something. Especially with someone like you._ "But I don't think she's involved."

"Really? Why do you think that?"

"You can kinda tell. She acts a lot like one of my men, a quiet version of him. He's my best man, so she couldn't have done it."  _I'm...not sure that's how it works._

"Thanks-"

"And look," he interrupted, "I think it's suspicious that these two were killed in your room. I got an idea of what they coulda been doing, and it ain't pretty."  _What does he mean by that?_ "But either way, these two are dead in your territory, you gotta figure out who did this."

"I will." He had to. Sayaka and Kuwata were relying on him to investigate the truth of this situation. He didn't want to, nor was he ready to face this, but he  _had_ to do it. He wasn't the killer, but he was certainly going to find out who it was!

"Then I got your back."

With Oowada seemingly done conversing with him, Naegi turned towards Kuwata's lifeless body.  _I have no other choice._

The first thing Naegi noticed was the blood. The smell alone almost knocked him off his feet.

Previously, his shirt had been pure white, but now it was covered with blood.  _Are those...?_ Narrowing his eyes, Naegi noticed the **long slits**  going up each of Kuwata's arms, along with the  **stab wound directly** in the **center of his stomach**  just like the Monokuma File mentioned. Which wasn't a good sign.

"So the killer might have tortured him?" he mumbled.  _But I don't know... His mouth is shut, so he wasn't screaming when he died, not that anyone would have heard him. Junko and Fujisaki checked to see if they were soundproofed, right?_

Blood did cover his mouth, though, so maybe he was screaming at one point but not when he died?  _And his eyes are open, so he must have seen who killed him. ...And who killed Sayaka as well._

That was a horrible thought.

There was no way Naegi could imagine being in Kuwata's shoes. Having to fight for his life, and having to face his killer, he just couldn't imagine it!  _I just can't believe one of us did it!_

* * *

"Kirigiri? ...What are you doing?"

Even though she had heard his question, Kyouko completely ignored Naegi. Instead, keeping her attention focused on the numerous scratch and scuff marks on the floor of his room. She ran her gloved fingers through the fibers of the carpet and just when she thought she noticed something important, her young classmate spoke up again.

"Did you lose a contact lens or something?"

"Hmm?" Her concentration, now broken by his questioning, made Kyouko force herself to stay quiet and keep her facade up. She  _did not_ have the time to be dealing with her injured classmate's questions!

_...Doesn't he realize that I'm in the middle of an investigation? We've wasted enough time as is!_

Instead of scolding him for his idiocy, remembering the recent traumatic experience he'd just gone through, she merely let out a soft sigh before she replied, "What does it look like I'm doing, Naegi?"

She hoped that he would take the hint and either begin his own examination of the room or simply leave her be to continue her own investigation; however, she soon realized that she should have just kept her mouth shut as she'd done before.

"I… I don't know?" he answered, shuffling closer to her. "It looks like you're looking for something."

"..."

Despite his heroic actions in the gym earlier, it seemed that Naegi was just as incompetent and useless as she had feared he would turn out to be. Then again, the same could be said for her other classmates.

Once everyone had gathered together after delivering both Junko and him to the nurse's office, Celeste 'conveniently' pointed out, since the room had actually belonged to Naegi and not Maizono, the chance of him being the killer was pretty high. From there, almost  _everyone_  blindly assumed this to be true and haven't even bother to assist in the investigation.

Celeste knew exactly what she was doing when she said that, but what was she going to gain from that?

Even Togami was doing very minimal investigating. And no doubt he had come to the same conclusion as most of the others that Naegi was the killer…despite the fact that it was fairly obvious and done with the intent of framing him. Sure, there _was_  a possibility that Naegi was the culprit, but the evidence proving his innocence was abundant. Painfully abundant, so much so that it would be obvious for anyone to see if they'd just take the two seconds to  _look._

And even then, all you needed was one look at him to know that Naegi wasn't capable of killing not one, but _two_ people. Especially when one of them was an athlete.

 _If this keeps up, I'll have no choice but to take the lead in this investigation and solve this case by myself. I wanted to avoid making myself a target for the more...formidable students but if_   _I_   _don't solve this mystery, then I'm certain that none of the others will. And I'm not going to let myself die because my classmates can't be bothered to lift a finger. ...How idiotic, I know I don't want to end up like Junko._

With a sigh, she glanced back at the floor.

 _There's absolutely no hair in this room whatsoever. How can that be? Stray strands always fall, even when we're unaware of it. It's often one of the greatest clues that point to the culprit in these cases. ...Wait, how do I know_ -

"Stay focused," she murmured. 

Standing up, she realized that Naegi must have finally given up on speaking with her because he had disappeared from beside her and was currently looming outside the bathroom door. Not that she blamed him for that, seeing a friend dead would make anyone hesitate. Which is one of the reasons why Kyouko was able to investigate Maizono's body with no issues, she certainly hadn't considered the Pop Idol a friend and therefore was able to push away those unsettling emotions. Not that she thinks Maizono deserved this tragic fate.

Even so, she'd been respectful and only spent the required amount of time examining the body. And now, she decided to extend that same courtesy to Naegi as he swallowed his bile and entered the bathroom.

When he was out of sight, she decided to check one final spot before concluding her investigation of the crime scene and moving on to the trash room, where she was certain some evidence had been disposed of.

Leaving that thought alone, for now, she moved on and sat down at Naegi's desk. Almost instantly, she noticed the pad of paper was set on the top right corner of his desk and the pencil that usually was supposed to be in a small cup beside the lamp was sitting atop the pad, which was supposed to be in the drawer.

The clean appearance made Kyouko believe that the desk had been untouched by the fight that must have taken place.  _Why would that be? Everything else got damaged, even his bed. I can't imagine why this desk would remain untouched. There isn't even a speck of blood over here._

But then, why were the pad and pencil so detached from the rest of his desk? It obviously had been used recently and was clearly put in a different place than usual. Most likely it was to make it seem less suspicious. ...But why would that be? So far, there would have been no reason for Naegi to use the-

Almost subconsciously, Kyouko's hands reached out, seizing the pencil and pulling the pad closer to her. With sharp, furious, swipes, she shaded in the top page of the pad and her eyes widened as a message swiftly began to form. She read it quickly as she continued to shade, only stopping when she noticed a message had formed.

_There's something very important I need to talk to you about. Just the two of us. In a few minutes, please meet me in my room. Make sure to check the nameplates to make sure that you don't get the wrong room!_

_-Sayaka Maizono_

_So...it wasn't Sayaka who was attacked but, instead, instigated the assault. Unfortunately, she was smart enough not to include the name of her intended victim._

With a sigh, she glanced toward Kuwata's body.  _However, I can assume Leon Kuwata was the intended victim, but obviously, something went south. ...He most likely killed her, but I can't know that for sure._

Folding the note and placing it into her coat pocket, Kyouko was about to go over the current evidence when her brain finally caught up with her most recent actions. She stood up from the chair seat, ignoring Sakura and Oowada's questioning gaze, and stared down at her gloved hands, almost in awe, at her invention.

_The shading...how did I know how to do that? It seems almost like the kind of trick a detective would use. Does that mean...I received similar training? It would certainly explain my knowledge of criminal investigations. Could it be that I'm..._

* * *

"Th-thank you for letting me sit with you, Hina."  _Aww!_

"Don't worry about it Fujisaki!"  _I'm totally stressed out too, but I have to be brave. Brave like Sakura! That's right, she'd know what to do! ...I wish she was here right now. I bet she'd do a better job comforting you._

Aoi Asahina thought she'd be pretty useless in the investigation since she didn't know what to do. Kirigiri, Togami, and even Naegi (as scary as that sounds) seemed to have everything under control. And with Sakura and Oowada there to guard the scene, there was no reason for her to...see...their bodies.

"Hello, Naegi?"  _H_ - _huh?_

Pulling herself from her thoughts, She didn't even realize that Naegi had entered the cafeteria from the kitchen.

"H-hey, Naegi!"

"Hi, guys." He greeted them with a small smile and sat in the seat across from them. "What's going on? Are you two doing okay?"  _Of course, you'd want to know._

"Me and Fujisaki were just eating some donuts."

"Y-yeah. I'm pretty nervous right now, so Hina offered to sit with me until it's time."

"That's nice of you, Hina." She nodded along, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Anyone would do it!"

"Of course," Naegi chuckled. "But, can I ask you guys a question?"  _Is he seriously interrogating me?! What the hell? I haven't done anything wrong!_ "Did either of you notice that one of the  **kitchen knives**  were missing?"  _Oh..._

"I haven't been in the kitchen," Fujisaki mumbled. "I haven't gone anywhere except for here, and when we checked on Junko a few minutes ago. What about you, Hina?"

"Yeah. It disappeared after our first night here. I thought it was strange, but Sakura told me I shouldn't worry about it."

"On our first night here?! It's been gone for that long?" he asked, leaning forward in his seat. "But why didn't you say anything?"

"Well..."

* * *

**(Night 1. Approximately 8:00 PM)**

"Thanks for sitting with me, Oogami. That message just really freaked me out."

"Please, call me Sakura."  _A_ - _already?! She trusts me that much?_ "And I do not mind. That bear's words were rather unsettling."  _I'm glad someone like her can be scared too. At least I'm not alone._

"Thanks! Then please call me Hina!" Letting her smile deflate a little, she continued, "You don't really think someone's going to kill, right?"

Setting her teacup down, Sakura let out a hum. "No. I do not think so, not at the moment at least. I think there are students that are capable of committing such an act, but no one seems willing to act on it now."

"Like Oowada?"  _Togami's not all that good, either, but I don't think he'll do anything._

"Yes."

Crossing her own arms, she replied, "Did you see how hard he punched Naegi? The poor kid flew like a bird; he still has that bruise!"

Sakura nodded. "Indeed. He'll have it for some time."

"He seriously needs to watch his own anger! He's going to get someone-"

Out of the corner of her eye, Hina noticed some movement by the kitchen door. Turning to get a better look, Asahina noticed the familiar figure of the blue-haired pop idol leaving the kitchen.

"Hi, Maizono!" she greeted, pulling out the chair beside her. "Do you want to have tea with us? I also have some donuts!" 

"O-oh, hi Asahina, S-Sakura." Her voice seemed tense and tired, and she kept fiddling with something on her stomach. Maybe her uniform was too tight? "No thanks. I'm going to head back to my r-room."  _She must be really tired after lugging Naegi around all day._

"If I may ask," Sakura started, catching the idol's fearful attention, "How is Naegi faring? I haven't yet been able to properly ask how he's doing."

"O-oh, him?" Although Asahina wouldn't normally catch something like that, she couldn't help but notice the complete and utter relief in her eyes. "I just took him to his room a few minutes ago. He was practically exhausted after our day."

"Aww! That's so sweet of you Maizono! But shouldn't he be bringing his sidekick to bed?"

It took a few moments before she was able to answer, and when she did, she let out a quiet laugh. "Well, don't tell Naegi this, ...but he's actually the sidekick."  _That's so cute!_

"I'm glad someone like you is looking out for him, Maizono. Keep up the good work!"

"Y-Yeah," she mumbled, unable to look at her. "I will."

* * *

"'I'm sure it was in self-defense', that's what Sakura told me!"

Naegi went silent for a moment, seemingly lost in thought. Then, he nodded to himself before looking at the two of them again.

"Can I ask you guys another question?"

"Yeah," Fujisaki answered for her.

"Where were the two of you last night?"  _Huh?_

"I had a sleepover with Sakura, and we were together the whole night!"

"I-I um..." Fujisaki took a few moments before answering. "I stayed in my room most of the night, b-but I ended up taking a short walk."

"Do you know what time that was?"

"N-no, but it was sometime after Monokuma's Nighttime announcement."

"Hey! You aren't accusing Fujisaki are you?!"

"N-no! I'm just trying to get a time frame set up, I swear! Sayaka was killed around 1:30 AM and Kuwata died around 2:00 AM, right? I know for a fact that they both were alive before the Monokuma announcement, so Maizono died after 9:30 PM but before 2:00 AM. I'm just trying to figure out what happened."

_...But you know what happened, don't you Naegi?_

"I just have one last thing to ask. Do you guys know how Junko is doing?"  _...Huh?_ "I haven't had time to check on her yet."

Out of everything he could have possibly asked, _that_  was it? Nothing about the case, or the missing knife? He was...worried about Junko?  _...I wasn't expecting that._

"Hina and I checked on her before coming here, she was still unconscious." Fujisaki raised a finger to her chin. "She didn't seem to be bleeding anymore. ...I hope she's not in any pain."

"She is..." he trailed off, looking at his injured hand. "I'm going to check on her after I do a few more things." Naegi stood up, sending them another warm smile. "Thank you for having me." 

At that moment, she felt a little bad for suspecting him. He looked so much like a kicked puppy that she couldn't stay mad at him.  _But what if he_ did  _do it? They were close, really close, and it makes sense. ...They were killed in his room too._

"Hey, Naegi?" she asked before he could leave.  _Should I ask him?_

"Yeah?"  _...I shouldn't ask him that. That's not something Sakura would do._

"Tell her I said hi!"

* * *

As Naegi pushed the bright green door open, he couldn't help but be wary of how untouched the room was.

Looking along the dark green tiles, he noticed the outline of a small trapdoor.  _That's a hatch, right? Where could something like this lead?_

***Rattle rattle***

_The door won't open._

Crouching down, he noticed the large golden padlock wrapped around the handle.  _Well, I guess that's why. ...But why lock this door? ...Where does it lead?_

The only other thing in the room was the large metal gate that separated him from the rest of the room, with the incinerator on the other side. As soon as he went to open it; however, Monokuma appeared in front of him.

 _ **"It's the end of the line, you can't go any further."**_. _..What? **"The Trash Room... This is where all of the school's trash ends up going."**_

"Okay..."  _I already figured that out._ "Can you tell me how you get the gate open?"

 _ **"You don't."**_ The bear waved his white paw in a disapproving manner, as if Naegi was a child that just got caught doing something naughty.

"Huh?! What do you mean I can't?"

_**"No entry beyond this point! You can't go any further! Only the person on cleaning duty is allowed in!"** _

"...So you're saying I have to go and find Yamada, just so I can-"

_**"No entry beyond this point! You can't go any further! Only the person on cleaning duty is allowed in!"** _

"Do I  _have_ to bring him here, or can I just ask-"

 _**"No entry beyond this point! You can't go any further! Only the person on cleaning duty is allowed in!"** _ _Did the Mastermind really just put him on a recording?_

"Mono-

_**"No entry beyond this point! You can't go any further! Only the person on cleaning duty is allowed in!"** _

_This...is stupid. It'd be faster if I just go looking for him._

...

"Oh, Yamada!"  _At least I didn't have to look for long._

As Naegi approached the larger male, he couldn't help but notice the sudden shift in Yamada's deminer.

"Hmm-hm-hm... Very interesting... ...Very strange..." he murmured over and over again.  _Could he have figured something out?_ Just as he was about to ask, Yamada seemed to come to his senses. "Mr. Naegi, what was Ms. Maizono and Mr. Kuwata doing in your room in the first place?"

"I don't-"

"But I will tell you this," he continued, taking a step in front of the Trash Room. Suddenly jabbing a finger in his direction, he yelled, "I absolutely will not allow you to dispose of any evidence in the Trash Room!"

_Does he really think I'm guilty?_

"Hold on, Yamada!" he yelled, waving his hands in front of his face. "I'm just looking for whoever's on  **Cleaning Duty,** and I think I remember you saying you were taking charge?"

"Cleaning Duty," he repeated. "As a matter of fact, that would be me. Why do you ask, Mr. Naegi?" Placing his hands on his hips, he continued, "On our second day here, Monokuma asked me to take charge of it. Thus so, I formally applied for the job! I haven't been able to do it this morning, for obvious reasons."

_But that means..._

"If you're on Cleaning Duty, then that means you can open that large gate, right? The one in front of the incinerator?"

"Of course!" he squealed, throwing his fist in such a way Naegi didn't think was possible. "It's my job to throw all the trash in there! And to do that, Monokuma gave me the  **Trash Room Key**!"  _The key? I wonder if it opens the trapdoor too?_ "But we're going to rotate once a week, so eventually you'll be in charge."

"Very strange."

"Ghaa!"

As if appearing out of thin air, Togami was suddenly at Naegi side. "When did you get here?!"  _I didn't even hear him show up!_

Completely ignoring Naegi's question, he continued, "You need a key to get in the Trash Room, and only the person with the Trash Room Key is allowed to go in? What's the point of going through all that trouble?" he muttered, placing a hand on the side of his glasses. "Why not just leave it open at all times so we can throw things out whenever we want?"

"That does seem more convenient," Naegi added.  _Somehow, I doubt Yamada would ever do that. ...When it's my turn, I'm definitely doing that._

"So in other words, it's not pointless at all."  _Huh?_

"Not pointless at all? What do you mean?"

"Rule number six."  _Anyone who kills a fellow student and becomes the "blackened" will graduate unless they are discovered. ...Is that what he's talking about?_ "That is why. If anyone could get into the Trash Room whenever they wanted..."  _I think I understand._

"Then it wouldn't be very hard to get rid of the evidence, right?"

Crossing his arms, Togami smirked, giving the only indication that he'd even heard his question. "All that thrill would be gone, and things would become very boring."

"Hold on... WHAT?!"

"Um... Mr. Togami," Yamada hesitantly spoke up. "What do you mean by boring?"

"More important than that, why did you volunteer yourself for this role?" Suddenly, the smirk had completely vanished, leaving Yamada to be gazed at with those harsh blue eyes.

"I-I just wanted to volunteer myself for something I knew no one else wanted to d-do. What's the big deal?!"

"The big deal? I doubt you're doing this out of the goodness of your heart. It's very possible that you're related to this case," Togami stated. "You're just as suspicious as that fool."

"... _WHAAAAAAAAAAAT?_!"

"Err... Anyway, Yamada," Naegi cut in, hoping to change the subject. "Since you're on Cleaning Duty, can I ask you for a favor?"

Shifting his glasses, Yamada's shock seeded to fade away entirely. "What? So now you want to join my party? Sorry, Mr. Naegi, but you haven't triggered that flag yet."  _...Should I even be surprised at this point?_ "I mean, you haven't helped me save a village, recover from a past trauma, or even beaten a boss. Oh! But you did fight one," he said, glancing at his bandaged hand.

"No, it's um...nothing like that. I just wanted to investigate the Trash Room."

"Oh, okay!"  _...Why was that so easy?_

And so, the duo headed into the Trash Room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You might notice that A little Dab'll Do Ya is gone. Yeah, I'm just not feeling that story anymore. I was proud of what I had done before the crash, but as I rewrote all those lost chapters, I just had no interest in it anymore. 
> 
> That doesn't mean the ideas I had for it is completely scrapped, I'll be using some of those plot points for future fics, but a little dab'll do ya just isn't going to be a thing anymore.


	9. Chapter I: The Investigation Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chihiro feels guilty while Naegi tried (and fails) to fix Junko.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reply from Guest reviewer (from FF.net) No, this story will deviate from canon. Chapter 1 is the only chapter to heavily follows canon. This will change once Chapter 2 starts.
> 
> ...Please don't start a war in the comment section about Chihiro's gender. Opinions are fine, I'm interested in what other people think about Chihiro, but please don't attack my interpretation of him in this fic, or if anyone who happens to comments their own opinions about him.

_Do I go back and tell him?_

Chihiro Fujisaki glanced at the teacup in his hands.  _What I saw... I think it might be important to this case..._

"Hey, Fujisaki?" Hina turned towards him, pushing the half-empty box away. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."  _The least I could do is listen since you've been so kind._ "Ask me anything."

"Do you, um... Do you think Naegi killed them?" ... _Oh._ "I wanted to ask him before he left, but it didn't feel like the right thing to do. ...I  _want_ to believe he's innocent. I mean, he doesn't  _seem_ like a bad person."

"Why do you think he did it?"

"Well..." she trailed off, crossing her arms with a sigh. "It makes sense, doesn't it? Both of them were killed in Naegi's room, right? Naegi and Maizono were close, really, really close! And just two days ago, Maizono and Kuwata were on a first-name basis, and now they're both dead? In Naegi's room?"  _Well, when she puts it like that..._ "I think he might've been jealous of them, but he looked so sad."

"Well..." What did he think? "I understand what you mean, but...he seems really torn up about it. ...I would be too, you're right, they were close."  _Poor Maizono, she didn't even get to defend herself against..._

"I guess," Hina mumbled. "I guess I don't know what to think. All of this is just so...confusing, right? I still can't really believe they're both dead. They were both alive yesterday, and I... I should have said something about that knife, I can't help but feel a little guilty."

"It's not your fault, Hina."  _Is it mine?_ "You thought it was for self-defense." 

"Maybe not entirely, but it was the kitchen knife that killed her, right?" Chihiro just nodded, not able to say anything else about it. "It's... I don't know. I shouldn't be bothering you about this, not when you were so nervous."

He glanced away from her, choosing to look at the door. What good was he anyway? It wasn't Hina's fault Maizono was dead, it was his! ...And now she was almost in tears from being so guilty.  _I didn't tell Naegi...but I_ - _I have to tell someone!_

"Uh, H-Hina?" He asked, earning her attention. "C-can I tell you something?"

"Of course!" she answered with a smile, but even he could tell it was a bit forced. "Tell me anything, Fujisaki! I'm here for you."

"It's about what I told Naegi."  _Or what I didn't tell him..._

"Huh? Do you mean about your walk?" She grabbed the last donut from the box, and he couldn't help but watch as the powder drifted to the floor. "It's okay Fujisaki, I know you did nothing wrong! It doesn't matter if you can't remember what time it was."  _I guess not, but it could._

"I couldn't sleep last night; I just had a bad feeling. I usually talk to my dad when I have these feelings," he admitted. "And I couldn't sleep. I-I know we made a rule not to leave at night, but I really needed to walk."

"I'm sure they'll understand, Fujisaki. I understand," she said. "And I think Naegi did too."

"Y-yeah. ...I went to the gym to walk, but it was when I was coming back. I-I saw something!" Feeling a few tears build-up, he went to reach for his handkerchief, only to realize it was currently wrapped around Naegi's hand. "It was Kuwata!"

"Kuwata?" she repeated. "That's good Fujisaki! That means you can-"

"He was covered in blood!" he yelled.

"H-huh?!"

"I tried to talk to him, I thought he was hurt! But he wouldn't talk to me, I even stood in front of him! He had this scary look in his eyes, Hina!"  _I should have woken somebody up! I sh_ - _shouldn't have gone back to my room!_ "He went into his room, and I... I was so scared! Too scared to do anything."  _I'm so pathetic! What kind of boy just sits back and_ -

"It's going to be okay." Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he looked up to see Hina's confident smile. "It's not your fault, okay? It's..." She pulled her chair close beside him, seemingly taking extra care as to not let him go. "Just relax. You saw... You saw  _him_ last night, and that's not your fault. Okay? Remember that."

"B-but-"

"I'm not all that good at comforting people. My younger brother, Yuta, is much better than me at it, but I'm going to try." The way she said it was so quiet and tender that he didn't even know if he was supposed to hear it. "I don't know what all this means, well, I can make a guess. ...But thank you for telling me, Fujisaki."

"I..."  _I had to tell someone what I'd done._

"But that leaves one question."

"It d-does?" She nodded.

"Who killed Kuwata?"

* * *

_Hopefully, there will be something useful in here._

Just as Naegi turned the key to Kuwata's room, a voice called out to him.

"Naegi."

"Eeyahh!" He whirled around, only to see a pair of lavender eyes evaluating him. "Don't do that Kirigiri! Togami did the same thing!"

"I've been waiting for you."

"F-for me?"  _What could she want? I thought I pissed her off too much earlier to want to see me again?_

"Monokuma said you had the key to Kuwata's room. Hurry up. I'd like to investigate."

"R-right! Of course..."  _She could have been a little less...blunt._

Kirigiri had entered first, and he was a little thankful for that. Naegi didn't really know what to expect, which did scare him a little, but having someone as calm and collected as Kirigiri with him soothed his nerves.

At first glance, the room looked fine. It didn't really look any different than his, except Kuwata had orange walls instead. And for a second, a brief second, Naegi didn't think there was anything to help with their investigation. ...That was until his eyes drifted over to the cabinets.

Each of the drawers was opened, all at different variations. The first set didn't have anything wrong with them, but the next had traces of bright pink blood on both the drawers and the sidings. As he walked closer, he noticed the faint bloodstains on the corner of Kuwata's blanket.

_What could have happened here? Could he have been attacked in here and escaped to my room?_

Peering into the top drawer, Naegi had to pause at the sight.  _It's..._

There, sitting in the barren drawer, was a toolkit. The cover was thrown off, seemingly splattering blood across the drawer. Blood covered the rest of the kit, seeping deep into the empty spot where the screwdriver should have been.

"Hey Kirigiri, come look at this."

"Hmm?" Briefly looking up at him from her position beside Kuwata's bed, she all but shoved him aside when she looked at where he was pointing. "This is..."

"This explains why my doorknob was broken," he answered. "The killer must have thought my door was locked."

"What was that?"  _Huh?_ She was looking intently at him, but he didn't expect her to answer. Honestly, he was only talking to himself. 

"My door's misaligned, at least, that's what Monokuma told me," he explained. "You have to push the knob up to get the door open, otherwise it won't open. Haha... I thought my door was broken at first."  _Mr. 'Lucky' Student..._

"And you only told her this?"

"Yeah," he answered with a nod. "When we switched room for the night. I had to tell her-"

"You two switched rooms? For the night?"  _Huh?_

"Yeah...?"  _Wasn't she listening when I told her earlier?_ "Someone was banging on her door last night, so we swapped rooms so she would be..." he trailed off.  _She was supposed to be safe._

"I see." Kirigiri had a gloved hand pressed under her chin. "That's useful information. I wish you would have told me earlier."

"...I did."  _I guess she wasn't listening after all..._ "Back in my-"

"It's irrelevant," she interrupted. "I'm going to continue investigating." And even quieter, she whispered, "It explains that too."

"Explains what?" he asked, only to have her walk away on him. "...Okay then."

_I don't think I got enough sleep last night._

And of course, Naegi wouldn't have noticed how Kirigiri stuffed something into her pocket. 

* * *

_**"Sayaka Maizono, The Ultimate Pop Idol, lead singer of a world-famous pop band! For these girls, the spotlight made them seem magnificent! But then, upupupu...!"** _

The screen faded to black for a few moments before popping back to life. Only... Sayaka was gone from the picture and all her bandmates except for one wad laying dead on the stage below. Finally, on the screen resting above the girl's dead bodies, a picture of Munokuma's face popped up.

_**"This ultra-successful team suddenly fell apart! None of them will ever perform again. None of them will ever feel the warmth of the spotlight again... Isn't this just a sad sight. And for you, Sayaka, there's nowhere for you to return to! Upupupuup! So here's the billion-dollar question! What happened to the last member? Is she dead or alive?"** _

**_*Look for the answer after Graduation!*_ **

"What the hell?!"  _This is..._ "What kind of person takes things this far!"

It had been Kirigiri's idea to come and watch Sayaka's Motive Video, but now he was regretting it. He didn't really gain anything from watching it either, not with helping find her murderer at least. ...At least he'd been able to find out what had freaked her out so much the night they'd watched these things.

_She must have been so... No. She_ was  _distraught by this video! Those people must have been really close to her, not if her family wasn't in the video._

"..." He brushed his good hand through his hair.

_I can't imagine what she went through. To not be close with your family, and then having the only people you're close to being killed and kidnapped._ "And then  _she_  was killed, and so was Kuwata." 

_I should have gone after her that night._

But he couldn't imagine any of his classmates doing something like this, not a single one of them! They weren't killers, they were just 'normal' high school students forced into a shitty situation! But the other thing he couldn't imagine was who and why.

Who was the Mastermind behind this Killing Game? ...And why would they go through all this trouble? There was no reason for any of it!

_I promise... I'll find your killer!_

* * *

"...Junko?" Out of all the things he'd imagined on his way over here, seeing the brazen Fashionista curled up in a ball crying was not one of them.

"N-Naegi?"

"Are you..."  _She didn't call me Makoto. ...This is the first time I've heard her say Naegi._ "Are you okay?"

"I'm..." She pushed herself up and wiped her eyes with her good hand. "I-I'll be fine. I'm just in a bit of pain."

"Let me help," he offered, moving towards one of the drawers. "There's pain medication over here, trust me."  _I've been here enough times to know that much._ "Here." He held out two pills from the 'Mr. Monokuma's make the pain go away' bottle, but she didn't make any moves to take them. "Junko?"  _Maybe she needs some water?_

Grabbing the small paper cup from beside the sink, Naegi filled it up with lukewarm water. He turned back to her, but she had a far off look in her eyes. "Take these, Junko."

...

...

"Junko? Can you hear me?" he asked. "These will help with your pain; I'll take one too if you're scared."  _Mine will wear off soon anyways. I did only take one._

Seeing as she wasn't going to respond, Naegi grabbed onto her good hand and placed the pills in it. Naegi winced as he did so, having to use his injured hand. "Are you really okay Junko?"  _She did lose a lot of blood, maybe this is a side effect._

"...No."

"What was that?" he asked.

"..." She didn't look at him when she plopped the pill into her mouth. He tried to give her water, but she swallowed them without it.

"I heard that can damage your throat. Knowing Monokuma, it probably will," he chuckled. It was meant to be a joke, but as her eyes widened, he knew she didn't see it that way.  _I need to think of something else!_ "How many fingers am I holding up?"

Silence fell between them as he held his finger up.

"Three."

"Ye-wait what?" He stared at her, jaw agape, and glanced back at his extended hand. "Junko, I only have o..."

* * *

"Oh, you're awake! Heeeey, how many fingers am I holding up?"  _H-huh?_

As Naegi regained consciousness, he was greeted by the sight of fingers adorned with long, red, fake nails.

"Wha...? ...Ugh... What?" he stammered, pushing himself into a sitting position. "You're..." Naegi stared at the figure until his sight cleared up. "You're Junko, right?"

The blonde rolled her eyes. "Why do you sound so unsure?" She narrowed her eyes and pushed her fingers closer to his face. "Now, answer the question."

"Uhh... Three?"

"Three? I'm a little concerned to hear you say that." Despite what she said, she was laughing as if this were all some big joke.

"Yeah..."

* * *

"Oh."  _She remembered._ " _Oh!"_ he exclaimed, snapping his fingers. "I'm a little concerned to hear you say that!"

"Are you?" It was faint, but Naegi could see a little bit of light return to her eyes. Maybe she was going to be okay after all!

"I'm disappointed you couldn't remember my gorgeous fingers."

And just like that, the light was gone.

"I'm sorry."  _Crap!_

"N-no! You don't have to apologize Junko-"

"No." It was quiet, ber her voice held so much conviction. "I'm sorry Naegi."  _Again with the Naegi. ...I don't like it._

"I don't understand what you're sorry about..." he trailed off, following her gaze towards his hand.  _I'm an idiot._ "You don't have to apologize for this. It's not your fault."

"It is, though." She stared at her own bandaged hand, then her stomach, and finally at her leg. "I lost control. I knew... I did know what would happen, didn't I? I knew."  _Is she trying to convince me or herself?_ "I should have known better, and now you're hurt."

"It'll heal, Junko."  _It'll suck, but I'm positive it'll heal._ "It might be a week or two, but it'll-"

"You think it'll be painless?"

"Well, no."  _Why is she looking through me like that?_ "We're going to be hurting for a while, but I think we'll survive. We're tough, right? ...I might have to retract that statement, I seem to attract p-"

***Ding-Dong-Ding-Dooooooong!***

Just then, a thin monitor extended from the wall, revealing a smug-looking Monokuma.

_**"All living students report to the elevator immediately! Hurry up! This is a MANDATORY meeting! Any student that doesn't arrive will be punished accordingly!"** _

And with that, the monitors flickered off, leaving Naegi in a state of shock.  _What was that?_

"There's a wheelchair in the closet." As Junko's cold voice pulled him from his thoughts, he couldn't help but look in the closet's direction.  _How did she know that?_ "My leg's totally messed up, so you'll have to help me."

"Yeah..." That  _should_ have sounded like Junko, but with the way she said it, it sounded like a completely different person. "I can do that."

**_"I don't want to be kept waiting! you have TWO minutes to get your fat asses here!"_ **

_...Fuck you Monokuma._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone wondering, this story isn't abandoned. Due to sickness over the past couple of months, I have been unable to write, which is why this is of a brief hiatus. I have absolutely no plans on abandoning this! 
> 
> Currently, this is being rewritten since I didn't like the direction this was going. (I'll explain more when it becomes time to update.) I plan to bring this back mid to late January. If for whatever reason, I can't update in January, it will be no later than February. I've been working really hard on the rewrite, though, so I'm expecting this to be up and running in January.


End file.
